Forest loss threatens Indonesia’s Javan langur survival
Profauna warns habitat conversion and poaching have sharply reduced populations on Mount Arjuna, raising extinction risks
MALANG, Indonesia (MNTV) — The population of the protected Javan langur on the slopes of Mount Arjuna in Indonesia’s East Java province has fallen sharply, with conservationists warning the species is nearing local extinction.
Monitoring conducted by Profauna Indonesia throughout 2025 recorded only nine langur groups totaling 54 individuals in the Batu and Karangploso areas of Malang. Of these, just 10 were juveniles, identifiable by their golden-orange fur, indicating weak population regeneration.
The figures mark a steep decline from a 2005 survey that documented at least 20 groups inhabiting the slopes of Mount Arjuna, underscoring the scale of population loss over two decades.
The Javan langur (Trachypithecus auratus) has been listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List since 2008 and is included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Rosek Nursahid, founder of Profauna Indonesia, said the conversion of forest land into agricultural areas is the primary driver of the decline. He noted that large tracts of forest that once served as langur habitat have been cleared and replaced by farmland.
Rosek added that widespread poaching from the early 2000s until around 2015 further worsened the situation, with langurs hunted for their meat despite legal protections.
“The Javan langur is a key species and a bioindicator of forest sustainability in Java,” he said, urging authorities and local stakeholders to take stronger measures to protect remaining habitats.
Satellite imagery from Google Earth and Global Forest Watch supports the findings, showing extensive deforestation in protected and production forests, including the Raden Soerjo Grand Forest Park, as well as forest areas in Mojokerto, Batu, Pasuruan and Malang.
Javan langurs rely on heterogeneous forest ecosystems with temperatures of 20 to 25 degrees Celsius, humidity levels above 50 percent and dense canopy cover. Such conditions are increasingly rare due to ongoing deforestation.
“As an endemic species and a bioindicator of Java’s forests, the Javan langur is now on the brink of extinction,” Rosek warned. “Without concrete action to protect forests and stop poaching, future generations may only know this species from history books.”
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