Bhutan Launches $1.38M Plan to Protect Endangered Golden Langur

Bhutan has launched a decade-long, $1.38 million conservation plan to protect the endangered golden langur, a primate with deep cultural and ecological significance that has seen its population decline by over 50% in the past 30 years. The Golden Langur Conservation Strategy and Action Plan (2025–2035) aims to address threats such as electrocution from uninsulated power lines, road accidents, stray dog predation, habitat loss, and hybridization with capped langurs through science-based research, community involvement, and targeted interventions. The Department of Forests and Park Services is leading the plan in collaboration with local communities and various agencies to ensure adaptive management and accountability. Meanwhile, conservation efforts continue globally, including the Amazon Shelter in Peru raising funds to build a new enclosure to rehabilitate rescued howler monkeys for reintroduction into the wild. In China, dedicated researchers like Professor Yang Jingyuan have been working for decades to protect the endangered golden snub-nosed monkeys, which have complex social structures and have seen population recovery due to habitat protection. These international efforts highlight the critical need for focused conservation to preserve endangered primate species facing multiple human-induced threats.