Thiruvananthapuram zoo welcomes Nilgiri langur baby
The Thiruvananthapuram zoo has successfully bred a rare Nilgiri langur, marking the first birth of the species at the facility in over a decade. The newborn is being monitored in a nursery to ensure its survival, as the species is currently listed as vulnerable.
Why it matters
The successful breeding of a vulnerable species in captivity is a significant milestone for wildlife conservation efforts in India.
The Thiruvananthapuram zoo has welcomed the birth of a baby Nilgiri langur after more than a decade.
The zoo said the rare new arrival was born on Tuesday (July 14, 2026) to Ranjini and Rajeev, a 15-year-old and an 18-year-old Nilgiri langur, respectively.
The couple, brought from the Forest Department’s animal rescue centre at Kodanad in 2013, had not had a child since 2014 when a female named Sona was born to them.
Nilgiri langurs, commonly called the black leaf monkey, hooded lead monkey or John’s langur, are shy breeders but at the same time can become agitated fast and display aggression. For this reason, getting them to breed is not easy.
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