WHITE
CHEEKED MACAQUE - ENVIRONMENT
News: Scientists pull paper from journal
over Arunachal mention
What's
in the news?
●
A paper on the White-Cheeked Macaque by
scientist Mukesh Thakur and his team was withdrawn from a China-based journal
on the grounds that it could not mention Arunachal Pradesh as a sampling site.
White
Cheeked Macaques:
- Habitation and
distribution: It is found only in Tibet and Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India.
- Distinct feature:
They are distinct from other macaques found in the region by displaying
white cheeks, long and thick hairs on the neck area and a longer tail.
- Conservation status:
- This
species' exact conservation status has not yet been determined
- It
has not been yet included in the
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India.
- Species of Macaque
found in India: White-Cheeked Macaques, Arunachal
Macaque, Assamese Macaque (Macaca assamensis) and Rhesus Macaque (Macaca
mulatta).
- Threat to this
species: Hunting by locals for consumption
and habitat degradation due to urbanization and infrastructure
development.