Decoding food solicitation techniques applied by free-ranging Hanuman langurs residing in an urban habitat
Abstract Urbanization has drastically altered natural habitats, forcing non-human primates (NHPs) to adapt to human-modified environments. This study examines one such adaptation undertaken by free-ranging Hanuman langurs residing in Dakshineswar, a temple area and a tourist hub in West Bengal. Our...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Animal Cognition |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-024-01925-y |
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| author | Dishari Dasgupta Arnab Banerjee Akash Dutta Shohini Mitra Debolina Banerjee Rikita Karar Srijita Karmakar Aparajita Bhattacharya Swastika Ghosh Pritha Bhattacharjee Manabi Paul |
| author_facet | Dishari Dasgupta Arnab Banerjee Akash Dutta Shohini Mitra Debolina Banerjee Rikita Karar Srijita Karmakar Aparajita Bhattacharya Swastika Ghosh Pritha Bhattacharjee Manabi Paul |
| author_sort | Dishari Dasgupta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Urbanization has drastically altered natural habitats, forcing non-human primates (NHPs) to adapt to human-modified environments. This study examines one such adaptation undertaken by free-ranging Hanuman langurs residing in Dakshineswar, a temple area and a tourist hub in West Bengal. Our observations reveal that they have come up with solicitation behaviors resembling human begging wherein they ask for food from nearby humans using various gestures. Notably, we identified seven distinct ‘begging’ gestures, with those involving embracing human legs and pulling their clothes having strong correlation with successful outcome. Moreover, adult female langurs predominantly initiate such gestures, with successful solicitation events peaking during evening sessions. The findings underscore langurs' adaptive capacity to exploit anthropogenic resources, where they have started to associate human beings as their food source. This study sheds light on primate behavior in urban landscapes, adding further evidence to the complex dynamics of human-monkey interactions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-201989dd6c5d4ee3a76facbd96f54054 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1435-9456 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animal Cognition |
| spelling | doaj-art-201989dd6c5d4ee3a76facbd96f540542025-08-20T02:41:33ZengSpringerAnimal Cognition1435-94562025-03-0128111210.1007/s10071-024-01925-yDecoding food solicitation techniques applied by free-ranging Hanuman langurs residing in an urban habitatDishari Dasgupta0Arnab Banerjee1Akash Dutta2Shohini Mitra3Debolina Banerjee4Rikita Karar5Srijita Karmakar6Aparajita Bhattacharya7Swastika Ghosh8Pritha Bhattacharjee9Manabi Paul10Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research KolkataDepartment of Zoology, Sikkim UniversityDepartment of Zoology, University of CalcuttaDepartment of Environmental Science, University of CalcuttaDepartment of Environmental Science, University of CalcuttaDepartment of Environmental Science, University of CalcuttaDepartment of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research KolkataDepartment of Environmental Science, University of CalcuttaDepartment of Environmental Science, University of CalcuttaDepartment of Environmental Science, University of CalcuttaDepartment of Environmental Science, University of CalcuttaAbstract Urbanization has drastically altered natural habitats, forcing non-human primates (NHPs) to adapt to human-modified environments. This study examines one such adaptation undertaken by free-ranging Hanuman langurs residing in Dakshineswar, a temple area and a tourist hub in West Bengal. Our observations reveal that they have come up with solicitation behaviors resembling human begging wherein they ask for food from nearby humans using various gestures. Notably, we identified seven distinct ‘begging’ gestures, with those involving embracing human legs and pulling their clothes having strong correlation with successful outcome. Moreover, adult female langurs predominantly initiate such gestures, with successful solicitation events peaking during evening sessions. The findings underscore langurs' adaptive capacity to exploit anthropogenic resources, where they have started to associate human beings as their food source. This study sheds light on primate behavior in urban landscapes, adding further evidence to the complex dynamics of human-monkey interactions.https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-024-01925-yUrbanLangurFree-rangingAdaptSolicitationBegging |
| spellingShingle | Dishari Dasgupta Arnab Banerjee Akash Dutta Shohini Mitra Debolina Banerjee Rikita Karar Srijita Karmakar Aparajita Bhattacharya Swastika Ghosh Pritha Bhattacharjee Manabi Paul Decoding food solicitation techniques applied by free-ranging Hanuman langurs residing in an urban habitat Animal Cognition Urban Langur Free-ranging Adapt Solicitation Begging |
| title | Decoding food solicitation techniques applied by free-ranging Hanuman langurs residing in an urban habitat |
| title_full | Decoding food solicitation techniques applied by free-ranging Hanuman langurs residing in an urban habitat |
| title_fullStr | Decoding food solicitation techniques applied by free-ranging Hanuman langurs residing in an urban habitat |
| title_full_unstemmed | Decoding food solicitation techniques applied by free-ranging Hanuman langurs residing in an urban habitat |
| title_short | Decoding food solicitation techniques applied by free-ranging Hanuman langurs residing in an urban habitat |
| title_sort | decoding food solicitation techniques applied by free ranging hanuman langurs residing in an urban habitat |
| topic | Urban Langur Free-ranging Adapt Solicitation Begging |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-024-01925-y |
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