The Arunachal Macaque
In 2005, scientists described a new species of monkey from the high forests of Arunachal Pradesh, one that local villagers had known all along.
What was reported
In 2003 and 2004, researchers from the Nature Conservation Foundation in India surveyed the high-altitude forests of Tawang and West Kameng in Arunachal Pradesh. They studied a stocky, dark brown macaque with a short tail that lived at up to 3,500 metres, and that local Monpa people called 'mune'.
In 2005, they described it as a new species, the Arunachal macaque, the first new macaque species found in more than a century.
Explanations offered
The discovery showed that large, new animals can still be found in the forests of north-east India. The macaque lives near villages and sometimes raids crops, and conservation work involves local communities.
- When
- Described in 2005
- Where
- Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, India
- Witnesses
- Local communities and scientists
- Status
- Confirmed
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