By Prasanta Kumar Barua
Bongaigaon, Assam: The New Year 2025 brought a wave of happiness for the people of Kakoijana, and certainly, for the golden langurs too. After scores of langurs lost lives to accidents on the national highway and got electrocuted, four hanging bridges built through human intervention have given the langurs a route to escape tragedy and the people, reason to rejoice.
The Kakoijana reserve forest, home to hundreds of golden langurs, is located near Abhayapuri in Bongaigaon district of Assam and spread on 17.24 Sq km area. Dissected by the National Highway 17, the forest and nearby areas were witness to many accidents, when the primates were hit by speeding vehicles while trying to cross the road. Besides the naked electric wires in the locality also threatened their existence.
While nine langurs were hit by vehicles in 2023, nine more died in 2024, and one succumbed in 2025. Similarly due to electrocution, the casualty number increased manifold. Recently, 34 villages near the reserve forest were electrified which left wires naked thus increasing the threat to their lives.
“Whenever a golden langur dies, the entire community mourns,” says Harmohan Rabha, a conservationist who has dedicated 23 years to protecting the species. “Their death is our loss,” he adds.
He explains how an atmosphere of consciousness and love for the endangered species has gripped the entire community staying nearby. "From my experience and field data I can say that there are about 400 golden monkeys here.”
Rabha explains that keeping the electric wires naked in the animal prone zone is increasing the casualties. However the electricity department has taken corrective measures, off late. “Following our demand, the electricity department has taken steps to install plastic coated wires,” he informs.
After the death of a golden langur on January 4, 2025, local people took up the cudgels and demanded the protection of the species. As a mark of protest, they also blocked the National Highway 17.
Backed by the district administration, the local nature lovers, sought an urgent solution. In January 2025, under the leadership of Bongaigaon District Commissioner Nabadeep Pathak, the first hanging bridge was built over NH-17 as an experiment.
Within a week, golden langurs were seen using the bridge—a moment that brought smiles to everyone’s faces. Encouraged by its success, locals and officials collaborated to construct three more hanging bridges, totaling four safe crossings for the langurs. Of the four bridges, two each have been built at Bhaworia Para, one in Kadamtala area and one in Kuchiyakata. These hanging bridges are made of wires and other safe materials wrapped in plastics.
Harmohan Rabha says, "Four bridges have already been constructed in the corridor. However, there is a need for three more. So we have appealed to the administration for taking up the construction soon. We also demand the government to declare Kakoijana as a forest sanctuary. ”
Professor at Abhayapuri College, Vikram Ranjan Roy, who is a nature lover associated with the conservation of golden langurs and also involved in construction of the bridges said, "After construction of hanging bridges, we have succeeded in our experimentation. If maintained well, the sight of the golden langurs crossing the national highway via the bridges will be a beautiful sight and Kakoijana reserve forest, will become a centre of attraction for tourists."
Golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) is listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, granting it the highest level of protection in the country. It is also cited as a rare animal in the Red Book of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN). From Hornbill, Pangolins, Leopards, Caterpillars, Pythons, Squirrels -the Kakoijana forest is home to animals and birds of different species.
According to primatologists, corridor linkage among the divided habitats through plantations and canopy bridges is important so that the primates do not face threats from anthropogenic interactions.
Read More
