The Purple Faced Langur: A Tale of Resilience

A female Purple Faced Langur near Nuwara Eliya.

The Purple Faced Langur is a species of primate that is only found deep in the forests of Sri Lanka. Aren't these guys beautiful? An adorable balance between keeping it classy and hard to take serious. They may look curious to the eye, but actually these langurs are very elusive, and hard to see in the wild. They once flourished throughout the island, but ever since their habitat has been urbanized, they began retreating to the interior rainforests. However, this species is thriving in the highland cloud forests of Sri Lanka, where they have adapted to survive at the harsh climate, but the question is for how long?

There are three species of monkeys found in Sri Lanka. The most common is the Toque Macaque, which is also endemic to the island. The Gray Langur, which is closer to the Purple Faced Langur, is common in the drier lowland regions, and is also found in neighboring India. And then there is the Purple Faced Langur, which is the rarest out of the three. They are concentrated in the wet montane and rainforests of southern Sri Lanka, but they may sometimes live in the dry zone too. These langurs have really just been stepped on by humans. As we continue to destroy their habitats, they have nothing to do but find other forests, or try to rough it out in our cities, so you can't really blame them for causing mayhem in our communities.

The Purple Faced Langur is the only monkey out of the three species living on the island, that can survive in the high altitude cloud forests. Like many other unique species living in this ecosystem, they have adapted over time to the cool moist weather here, so they are easily distinguishable from their lowland rainforest counterparts. You'll see see that the ones living up here are much more fluffier and wooly, which provides them with insulation from the cold and moisture around them. They also are way darker than the ones living at lower elevations. They also have developed their respiratory system to withstand the thin misty air of these forests. For such a small ecosystem, its amazing how animals adapt to make sure they are living as comfortably as possible wherever they go.

Purple-faced monkeys live in tight-knit social groups, usually consisting of a dominant male, several females, and their offspring. These cohesive units provide protection against potential predators and foster cooperative behaviors for hunting, grooming, and nurturing the young. Because these forests are dense, with lowhanging trees, the langurs have adjusted their limbs and shoulders to traverse the dark canopies. Though these langurs are native to these forests, as humans clear cut the forests in the lowlands, more langurs have had to move into the highlands recently, where they must also adapt to the harsh conditions. Although the establishment of national parks and other protected areas has helped allow langurs and other endangered species to thrive, much of the forests that are still intact, go unprotected.

In the face of displacement, these langurs have seen and been through it all, but have somehow managed to survive, even if it took adjusting to the changes around them. They are rarely found in the lowland rainforests, and mostly live in the cloud forests of the island now, where they are most frequently spotted. They are very curious, but also shy and timid, and will observe people from a distance. Unlike the Toque Macaques, who have no fear in stealing a bag of chips, these langurs prefer to stay deep in the highlands, where their only threats are leopards. As the cloud forest habitat continues to be destroyed, the existence of these langurs hangs in the balance, and their survival depends solely on the human duty to protect the rare habitat that they live in.