Lion-Tailed MacAques: Mischief Makers March 18, 2010

They grimace at their keepers and have been known to trash their exhibit. But lion-tailed macaques are strikingly beautiful animals and one of the most endangered species on the planet. Their wild habitat is decreasing as timber is harvested and plantations for tea, coffee, and eucalyptus are established and the macaques are hunted for food. The macaques' name comes from the tuft on their tails, similar to a lion's, and their beautiful silvery "manes" that help protect them from showers in their native rain forest habitat in India.