About the Nilgiri Langur
The Nilgiri langur is a glossy black leaf-eating monkey of the Western Ghats rainforests — one of the most beautiful and least-known primates in India. Endemic to the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and surrounding Western Ghats forests, it inhabits the shola forests and wet evergreen forest from Kerala north to parts of Karnataka, living at altitudes from near sea level to 2,000 metres.
Nilgiri langurs live in small troops of 5–20 individuals, led by a dominant male. Unlike the ubiquitous Hanuman langur, the Nilgiri langur is a forest specialist that cannot persist in degraded habitats. Its glossy jet-black coat with a golden-brown crown makes it instantly distinctive from other langurs. The species is threatened by hunting for its fur (used in traditional medicine) and habitat loss, and its restricted range makes it highly vulnerable to forest fragmentation in the Western Ghats.