India’s newest mammal: White Cheeked Macaque

TOPIC: Environment

Context- Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have found a new mammal species in the country — the White Cheeked Macaque.

Concept-

While the Macaque was first discovered in China in 2015, its existence was not known in India before this.
Indian scientists have discovered its presence in the remote Anjaw district in central Arunachal Pradesh.
The White Cheeked Macaque has distinct white cheeks, long and thick hair on the neck and a longer tail than other Macaque species.
It is the last mammal to have been discovered in Southeast Asia.
Both the Arunachal macaque as well as the White Cheeked Macaque exist in the same biodiversity hotspot in the eastern Himalayas.
The white-cheeked macaque lives in forest habitats, from tropical forests to primary and secondary evergreen broad-leaved forests and mixed broadleaf-conifer forests.