Gray langur

The Nepalese langur (Semnopithecus schistaceus) is an unusual herbivorous monkey. Gray langurs have a multi-chambered stomach populated with special bacteria - all in order to better digest leaves. There are much fewer herbivores capable of climbing trees than herbivores running on the ground (goats, sheep, etc.). Thanks to this, langurs can easily find food even in the not too lush forests of mountainous Nepal and India. Another thing is that the forest area is constantly decreasing, and langurs, unlike the ubiquitous and omnivorous rhesus macaques, cannot adapt to feeding on urban waste.

Translated from Hindi, the word "langur" means long-tailed. Indeed, langurs have an elegant tail. In combination with the noble gray color, they make a very positive impression. We often meet these beautiful monkeys in the rhododendron forests during Annapurna Base Camp Trekking in Nepal.

Hindus consider langurs to be the personification of the monkey god Hanuman, which gives langurs a special status and some protection from human aggression.