More than half of primates at risk of extinction, say Bristol conservationists
A new study by experts from Bristol Zoo and UWE says 65 per cent of primates could die out
Well over half of primates are at risk of going extinct, according to a new study by conservationists based in Bristol.
A report from the Bristol Zoological Society and University of the West of England (UWE) says 65 per cent of primates could die out if action is not taken.
It is part of ongoing work by the Bristol Zoological Society to tackle the decline in gorilla numbers in the wild.
A breeding programme for western lowland gorillas is ongoing at Bristol Zoo, with two infants born in the last 18 months.
It has also been announced that western lowland gorillas will be part of a major exhibit at the new Bristol Zoo due to open in 2024.
The report, called The Current Status of the World’s Primates, says "the majority" of primate species are threatened "and require urgent conservation attention".
It says primate numbers, including those of gorillas and lemurs, are in decline because of hunting and loss of forests from logging and agriculture.
It also partly blames climate change and infectious diseases for the problems.
The study looked at 491 species of primates across Central and South America, Africa, Asia and Madagascar, drawing on the most recent information from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (ICUN) Red List.
It also examined almost 9,000 articles detailing the most recent threats to primates.
“Out of the 491 species of primates included in the IUCN Red List as of July 9, 2020, 319 were threatened with extinction," it reads.
It points out that primates remain one of the most threatened groups of mammals on the planet with those in Asia and Madagascar at most risk.
They include blue-eyed black lemurs and cherry-crowned mangabey monkeys.
The study’s authors include Dr Grainne McCabe and Dr Daphne Kerhoas from Bristol Zoological Society, Dr David Fernández from the University of the West of England and Andrea Dempsey from West Africa Primate Conservation Action.
You can read the full report here.