‘White-cheeked Macaque’

‘White-cheeked Macaque’

 

  • Recently, scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have discovered a new mammal species- ‘White-cheeked Macaque’ (Macaca leucogenis) in the country.
  • This species was first discovered in China in the year 2015, before its existence in India was not known.
  • Now Indian scientists have detected its presence in the remote Anjou district of central Arunachal Pradesh.
  • The latest discovery has increased the number of mammals in India from 437 to 438.

White-cheeked Macaque:

  • The white-cheeked macaque has white cheeks, long and thick hair on the neck and a long tail, making it quite different from other macaques.
  • It is the last mammal discovered in Southeast Asia.
  • Both the Arunachal macaque and the white-cheeked macaque are present in the same biodiversity hotspot in the eastern Himalayas.
  • The white-cheeked macaque and the Arunachal macaque (Macaca munzala) as well as the other species of macaque are the Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis) and the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) that have been found in the same landscape.
  • Potential threats to all species of macaque in the landscape are hunting by local people and habitat degradation due to urbanization and infrastructure development.
  • This species is not protected by the Wildlife Protection Act of India, as it was not known until now that this species exists in India.

Download yojna ias daily current affairs 11 feb 2022 HIndi

No Comments

Post A Comment