More than 200 black-faced langurs in Jhenaidah face worsening hunger as habitat loss shrinks natural food sources, increasing human-wildlife conflict and raising urgent calls for better feeding and veterinary care.
More than 200 black-faced langurs living along the Maheshpur border in Bangladesh’s south-western Jhenaidah district are struggling to survive as shrinking forests and inadequate food supplies leave them increasingly malnourished and force them into conflict with villagers.
The langurs have lived in the area for nearly 25 years. Spread across at least six groups, they move through villages including Bhabanagar, Swaruppur, Chapatala, Talsar, Shyamkur and Kusumpur.
But widespread destruction of forests together with the expansion of farmland and net-fenced orchards has sharply reduced their natural food sources. As a result, the animals regularly enter crop fields in search of food and often clash with farmers and pet dogs.
Each group is led by a dominant male that protects its members and territory.
One such leader is “Bir Bahadur”, who heads a 35-member group in Kusumpur. He bears a fresh wound on his face and constantly surveys his surroundings in an aggressive stance, appearing as though he has just returned from a fierce fight.
Every day he battles to defend his group while securing food and territory. For nearly nine years, he has retained leadership by defeating rival males from neighbouring groups. However, advancing age and worsening food shortages have made that task increasingly difficult.
Other dominant males, named Ranjay, Prahari, Aranyabir and Shaktiman, lead their own groups in similar fashion. Territorial disputes among the langurs are common and the animals are also sometimes attacked by pet dogs in nearby villages.
Local veterinarian Mahiuddin said the adult langurs are noticeably smaller and lighter than they should be.
Unlike wild monkeys that live freely in forests and feed naturally, the Maheshpur langurs appear malnourished, underdeveloped, thin and weak, he said.
According to the Forest Department, more than 200 langurs receive a daily food supply consisting of 15 kilograms of bananas, two kilograms of vegetables, two kilograms of bread and two kilograms of peanuts under the supervision of a local volunteer.
Officials said the food support is not part of a permanent government programme.
Md Shafiqul Islam, range officer of the Kotchandpur Range under the Forest Department, said local resident Nazmul Hossain voluntarily began feeding the monkeys around 10 years ago. He also raised awareness among farmers and arranged treatment for injured langurs whenever possible.
Nazmul is also the person who named the monkeys.
After authorities became aware of his efforts in 2022, the Jashore Social Forestry Division launched a limited daily feeding programme and appointed him as the caretaker.
Shafiqul Islam said the langurs’ natural diet mainly consists of wild fruits, roots and the leaves of different trees.
Nazmul said the current food allocation falls far short of meeting the needs of around 200 langurs, leaving them hungry most of the time.
The shortage forces the animals to raid nearby agricultural fields for food, often prompting angry farmers to chase them away or attack them. With very little natural food left in the area, competition over the remaining resources frequently leads to violent territorial fights among the groups.
Nazmul also said that between 12 and 15 langurs die every year after being electrocuted or injured in road accidents. Because there are no local veterinary facilities, many wounded animals die before the Forest Department can arrange treatment.
He urged the government to increase food allocations for the langurs and establish proper veterinary services to improve their chances of survival.
This post is republished from The Daily Star.
