Population Census of Rhesus Macaque and Hanuman Langur in India-A Status Survey Report

In the past excessive demand for monkeys, particularly of rhesus macaque, for biomedical and pharmaceutical research and other experimentation, have put a heavy strain on their population in nature in India. The rhesus macaque is and will continue to be the standard laboratory model for various scientific investigations. To meet this demand, large number of rhesus were being trapped and exported to other countries in the past. The past reports of the monthly statistics of Foreign Trade of India indicate that a good number of monkeys of Indian origin, particularly the rhesus, were exported to different countries. However, since 1978 there has been a total ban on the export of monkeys from India~