Coimbatore: The Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park, Pollachi in the district had taken steps to regenerate the rare 'monkey jack' species from seeds for ex-situ conservation, according to a senior official.

Though the 'Artocarpus Lakoocha,' popularly known as monkey jack, finds mention in C E C Fischer's book, 'The Flora of Anamalais', published in 1921, no further reports were available on the species in the region, V Ganesan, wildlife warden of the sanctuary, said.

Botanists had identified the fruit, famous in the North East and other South Indian states, except in Tamil Nadu, as a new species, the 'A Gomezianus SSP Zeylanicus', Ganesan said.

A recent bio-diversity inventory by Pondicherry University revealed the presence of this species in Varagaliar Shola. The forest department survey also found these in Karian Shola, he said.

Stating that more than 12 trees had been spotted in Karian and Varagaliar sholas, Ganesan said that monkey jack, deciduous in nature and the size of an apple, with a smooth velvetty surface, was available only from July to August.

The edible fruit, acidic in taste and containing one to three seeds, were normally eaten by Nilgiri Langurs, Ganesan said.

PTI