These leaf monkeys are
docile and adorable creatures, and should not be
mistaken with the fearless long-tailed macaques
which often seen raiding opened dust bins and
scampering kitchen for leftover food. Leaf
monkeys, as the name would suggest, are arboreal
or tree-dwelling. They feed on young
leaves, tree shoots and wild fruits.
It
is rather easy to identify the leaf monkeys. Apart
from their arboreal attribute and docile nature,
they spot an entirely dark or silvery grey
colour throughout their bodies. They can grow
up to 6.5kg in weight depending on their age and
gender. The leaf monkeys are often seen in groups
of 6-10, although some literatures have put a
colony of leaf monkeys to consist anywhere between
15-28 members.
Naturally,
there will be an alpha male in each colony
which is supposedly responsible to safeguard his
group from any predators. In general, taking
photographs of these adorable creatures are fairly
easy, although I did exercise some cautions, just
in case. Silver leaf monkeys are not known to
attack human beings yet they might be somewhat
perturbed by the lenses and camera flashes that
could turn them in defensive modes.
Another
unique characteristic of these langurs is that
their infants spot a bright orange colour that
will last for about three months before their
silvery grey colours begin to become dominant. I
got the chance to catch a glimpse of a new-born
infant in such contrasting colour clinging to
its mother.
