Thomas’s leaf monkey in Sumatra. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler.
With unmistakable coloring and a philosophical, at times almost melancholy expression, the Thomas’s leaf monkey (Presbytis thomasi) is one of Asia’s little-known primates. Thomas’s leaf monkey (also known as Thomas’s langur) is found only on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. The monkeys roam forests eating fruits and flowers, and sometimes snails, mushrooms, and coconut stalks. Little is known about species compared to many of the world’s other primates.
Like many of its Sumatran neighbors—tigers, elephants, rhinos, and orangutans to name a few—Thomas’ leaf monkey is imperiled by habitat destruction. The destruction of forests for logging, pulp and paper, and palm oil has caused a loss in the Thomas’s leaf monkey population of over 30 percent in the last 40 years. The species is currently listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List.
Sumatra has lost nearly 10 percent of its forest in the last eight years, imperiling thousands of species and emitting vast stores of carbon.
Thomas’s leaf monkey in Sumatra. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler.
Thomas’s leaf monkey in Sumatra. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler.
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