Rhesus monkey
Macaca mulatta
27.7154, 85.2905
Field Notes
Description:
Very common Old World monkey, size of a medium sized dog (about 50cm in length, plus a short 20cm tail). Grey brown coat with pinkish face and bottom.
Habitat:
Seen in Swayambhunath temple of Kathmandu. This temple is located on one of the hills in Kathmandu valley, and its surroundings are home to a great number of Rhesus monkeys, who roam freely, are unafraid of people (to the point of mobing - I witnessed a girl being chased for a bag of sweets, which she finaly surrendered)
Notes:
This temple is the UNESCO World Heritage site and its surroundings are said to be home to hundreds of monkeys, considered holy by believers. Legend has it that the monkeys were formed from the head lice of the Manjusree Bodhisattva, who in Buddhism represents the embodiment of wisdom and, according to folk tradition, raised the hill upon which Swayambhunath stands.
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