Guwahati: The Bodoland Territorial Council Forest Department and the Primate Research Centre Northeast India have installed two artificial canopy bridges along the Bismuri-Saralpara Road in Assam. This intervention aims to protect the endangered Golden Langur, which serves as the official mascot for the council. The bridges were placed inside the newly designated Sikhna Jwhwlao National Park to help the primates navigate forest patches fragmented by recent road widening projects.
Conservationists prompted the project after two Golden Langurs died in separate road accidents during May 2026. Experts noted that road construction and the removal of existing canopy cover forced the arboreal animals to the ground, where they became vulnerable to speeding traffic. The team installed a ladder bridge and a pipe bridge equipped with a vertically mounted rope to provide safe passage between trees.
The Bismuri-Saralpara Road spans the 316.29 square kilometer national park, which hosts the second-largest population of these primates. While these bridges offer an immediate safety solution, the Primate Research Centre Northeast India has warned that further action is necessary. The organization stated, "PRC NE India has called for additional mitigation measures before the project is completed, including safeguards for other vulnerable species such as butterflies, amphibians and reptiles."
As the road also functions as a vital corridor between Assam and Bhutan, officials remain concerned about future traffic volume. Local advocates describe the bridges as a necessary step to balance infrastructure expansion with the protection of the region's sensitive ecological landscape.
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