The recent attack on four people by Hanuman Langurs (Presbytis entellus) at Kadi in Mehsana district on Saturday could be an indication of behavioural change in simians, say wildlife experts.

Only a week ago, a similar incident had occurred at Surat. Experts say such incidents are on the rise. Experts at Jay Narain Vyas (JNV) University at Jodhpur in Rajasthan, one of the few known institutions studying the behaviours of Hanuman Langurs in India had recently taken up a study in this regard.

At a conference at Kumaun University in Nainital, they said that climate change could be one of the reasons responsible for this behavioural change in primates who are already coping with a reduced habitat as a result of human intrusion into their territory.

Gautam Sharma, a lecturer at JNV University said: “We have been collecting data of the changing weather from the Central Arid Zone Research Institute and the Zoological Survey of India. We have observed a change in the feeding habits of these simians due to changes in the winter and summer patterns. Generally, their natural feeding pattern is early morning and late evenings, but this has now changed due to the changing weather.”

JNV University Associate Professor L S Rajpurohit added: “There are many reasons for the changing pattern in Hanuman Langur behaviour; we believe climate change is one of them.”

JNV University experts are now carrying on further study to relate the rising incidents of attacks on humans to the changing feeding habits of the simians as a result of the change in climatic conditions. Due to their religious significance (Hanuman Langurs are associated with Lord Hanuman), these primates are mostly dependent on foods offered by humans.

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