Rare black-faced langur caught

Black-faced langur chained at Baroigram village in Nandail upazila of Mymensingh on Saturday afternoon. Photo: Star

A black-faced entellus, caught from a village in Nandail upazila, was released to the forest in Muktagachha upazila yesterday.

People of Baroigram village in Nandail caught the langur, locally known as 'kalomukh hanuman', on Saturday afternoon, said locals.

Informed, Nandail Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Hafizur Rahman and Upazila Forest Officer Md Mazharul Haque rushed to the spot in the evening and took it to the upazila forest office.

The animal reached the area two weeks ago and continued wandering in search of food.

Sometimes monkeys and langurs get on banana-laden trucks and this animal might have reached here by travelling on such a vehicle, the forest official said.

Being chased for several days, the animal became very weak but it is taking food normally, said the official.

“The langur reached the Mymensingh Divisional Forest Office today and we released it to a forest,” said Range Officer Taposh Kumar Dev.

"Black-faced entellus has become a rare species in Bangladesh. Proper steps should be taken for its preservation for the sake of maintaining biodiversity," said Prof Dr Syed Sakhawat Hossain, of animal breeding and genetics department of Bangladesh Agriculture University, Mymensingh.