A PRIMATE’S PLIGHT … A Phayre’s Leaf Monkey, also known as Phayre’s Langur, all smiles as he hangs onto a tree in a forested area in Sylhet. While the primate is generally a happy-go-lucky one, its species is under severe threat due to habitat degradation and hunting. Locally sometimes referred to as “Choshma Bandor”, the monkey is indigenous to South and Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh, India and Myanmar. The animal often falls prey to illegal pet trade as well. With its number falling sharply, the IUCN has listed the Phayre’s Leaf Monkey as “critically endangered” in its Red List. Bangladesh has already lost 80 percent of the primate over three generations.