Purple-faced langurs are a type of monkey found only in Sri Lanka. These monkeys usually have a black coat and a purple face.
Near the village of Lankagama, however, some langurs really stand out because they have white or partially white coats. These white monkeys have leucism, which means a partial loss of pigmentation in their skin.
In a survey in 2011, the Wildlife Conservation Society of Galle (WCSG) found 30 white langurs in the 14 langur troops they observed. But reports of white langurs go back centuries. Elders in nearby communities recall sightings of pale-colored langurs. Robert Knox, a British sailor held captive in Sri Lanka during the 17th century, wrote about white monkeys in his 1681 book.
Humans have long had an interest in white animals, such as Canada’s spirit bears and Africa’s white lions. Two reasons why humans treat white animals as special are that they are rare and they often feature in stories and folklore.
With their special coloration, the leucistic langurs have helped transform the village of Lankagama into an ecotourism destination.
David Brown adapted this story for Mongabay Kids. It is based on an article by Malaka Rodrigo, published on Mongabay News.
