A rare white-cheeked macaques (Macaca leucogenys) in Anjaw and West Kameng districts was spotted by the scientists from the Zoological Survey of India recently. It is to be mentioned that the white-cheeked macaque is the newest addition to the list of primate species found in the Indian subcontinent.

West Kameng DFO Chukhu Loma informed that the only other time that the rare mammal’s existence was reported was in southern Tibet in 2015. He said that there had been no other reports of its discovery anywhere in the world, until only a month back in Anjaw.

He further stated that not many days after its discovery in Anjaw, the team captured a white-cheeked macaque in one of the cameras during a routine camera trap exercise in Bishum Phudung in Dirang in West Kameng district. The animal had distinct facial features that differentiate it from other macaques, specifically the white cheeks (whiskers), long and thick hair on the neck. They happen to live in the same biodiversity areas as the other macaques. 

Loma said it to be an exceptional discovery, given how rare it is and how little it is known about them.

He mentioned that the immediate need of the hour is to carry out a detailed, in-depth scientific study of the animal. 

“Our team will push forward this work on our own end, as best as we can. Another animal that is almost as rare and elusive, which we have captured in our camera traps, is the marbled cat, and in good numbers. This indicates the prospects of a wide-scale scientific study in the area,” he added.

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