The purple-faced langur or the purple-faced leaf monkey is a species found only in Sri Lanka. They are long tailed monkeys, mostly brown in colour, with facial whiskers and a very shy nature. For the most of their time, these leaf-eating monkeys live on trees.
Due to the cutting down of trees for agricultural, industrial, and domestic purposes, the lives of langurs have been greatly affected. Like in all cases, their habitats are lost or fragmented and the animals are separated from each other. This in turn, affects breeding and reproduction.
The langurs are also exploited for their meat and skin. The latter is known to be used in making musical instruments.
There are many efforts in progress to save this species from extinction. These include improving the management of the already protected areas, as well as creating new ones where the langurs could be safe.
Picture credit: google
