'Dracula' monkey comes back from the dead in Borneo

By ROB WAUGH

One of the rarest and least known primates in the world, Miller's Grizzled Langur, has been found in Borneo - despite the fact that it was thought the species had been wiped out in 2004

An 'extinct' monkey has been rediscovered in the rainforest of Borneo by an international team of scientists on a new expedition.
One of the rarest and least known primates in the world, Miller's Grizzled Langur, has been found alive - it was thought the species had been wiped out in 2004. The species has a distinctive dark face and white, Dracula-esque 'collar' of fur.
Some of the only photos in existence of the rare animal were snapped by camera traps and have provided the first solid evidence that it is still alive.

Some of the only photos in existence of the rare animal were snapped by camera traps and have provided the first solid evidence that it is still alive and well

The endangered monkey was discovered living in the Wehea Forest, East Kalimantan, Borneo, a largely undisturbed rainforest where it was previously not known to exist.
Brent Loken, from Simon Fraser University Canada, said: 'While our finding confirms the monkey still exists in East Kalimantan, there is a good chance that it remains one of the world's most endangered primates.'
'I believe it is a race against time to protect many species in Borneo. It is difficult to adopt conservation strategies to protect species when we don't even know the extent of where they live.'

Brent Loken, from Simon Fraser University Canada, said: 'While our finding confirms the monkey still exists in East Kalimantan, there is a good chance that it remains one of the world's most endangered primates.'

The Miller's Grizzled Langur is part of the small primate genus Presbytis, found across Borneo, Sumatra, Java and the Thai-Malay Peninsula.
In Borneo, it was only found in a small corner of the county's north east and its habitat has suffered from fires, human habitation and conversion of land for agriculture and mining.
But the team of scientists stumbled upon the monkey when trekking through the 38,000 hectare rainforest which contains at least nine known species of non-human primate, including the Bornean orangutan and gibbon.

source: dailymail