Activity Patterns and Habitat of Hanuman Langur (Semnopithecus entellus Dufresne, 1779) in Sahid Lakhan Rural Municipality, Gorkha, Nepal

Abstract

Study on the population and behaviour of animals help us to conserve the population of species. This study aims to study the population, behaviour and habitat of langur monkey with relation to human beings on the bank of Marsyandi River of Sahid Lakhan Rural municipality, Gorkha. Field survey was carried out only in one season (May 17 to 1 July, 2019). Instantaneous focal animal sampling method was used to observe the animal and individual observed for 10 minutes. Time was classified into four phases i.e. morning [7:00 to 9:40], late morning [9:45 to 12:25], day [12:30 to 15:10] and evening [15:15 to 18:10]. Langur monkey spent more time on foraging (45.99%), inactive (17.67%), locomotion (14.12%), grooming (9.15%) and sleeping (9.11%). The Chi-square test revealed that there was significance difference between all behaviour in different phase of day Similarly, total 32 quadrates having 10m radius were laid down to find the plant diversity of habitat and found that the species diversity was 2.66 with the dominant of Sal (Shorea robusta) followed by Botdhayero (Largerstromia parviflora) and Chilaune (Schima wallichii). Semi structured question were asked with 37 local people having age more than 20 years. Maize (14.6%) is mostly raided crop by langur which is followed by daal (9.71%), millet (9.32%) and vegetables (7.11%) and local people apply different strategies to chase out the langur from agricultural field. Shouting and following was the most common strategy applied by local while throwing stones ranked the second. Few invasive species as well as anthropogenic effects to the natural forest were experienced in the study area. To conserve the species, further study will be required, and relation between assamese monkey as well to reduce the conflicts between human and primate’s should be found on local level.