Hanuman Langurs thoughtful about food, started to develop a taste for processed food items
A study on Hanuman Langurs, scientifically known as semnopithecus entellus, a genus of old world monkeys native to India, has revealed that they have started to develop a taste for urban processed food items such as bread, processed peanuts.
This probable urban adaptation of langurs, who are staring at a loss of their food and shelter due to a decline in forest cover, is key to their survival in urban areas in co-existence with humans.
The study by the Department of Environmental Science, University of Calcutta, also pointed out that the langurs are very thoughtful about their food selection, which is independent of human interferences and scarcity of natural food items.
The study could provide important insights into adaptation of non-human primates for their conservation, better management and policy-making to develop a sustainable urban ecosystem, said Manabi Paul from the Department of Environmental Science.
Her team has conducted 83 field-based experiments at various parts of West Bengal between December 2018 and March 2020 to understand the feeding pattern of these langurs who have a multipartite stomach that facilitates the fermentation of leafy diet.
Due to the scarcity of natural food sources, these primates are often forced to rely on human provisioned food items, leaving no choice but to adapt for their better survival within an urban ecosystem. Yet they have demonstrated feeding choices of their own, which are not dependent on human interferences, the study stated.
