A global review of the world’s primates says 48% of species face extinction, an outlook described as “depressing” by conservationists. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species says the main threat is habitat loss, primarily through the burning and clearing of tropical forests. More than 70% of primates in Asia are now listed as Endangered, it adds. The findings form part of the most detailed survey of the Earth’s mammals, which will be published in October. Other threats include hunting of primates for food and the illegal wildlife trade, explained Russell Mittermeier, chairman of global conservation group IUCN’s Primate Specialist Group and president of Conservation International.
According to IUCN Red List, Nations with the highest percentage of threatened species are Cambodia – 90%, Vietnam – 86%, Indonesia – 84%, Laos – 83%, China – 79%. Although habitat loss and deforestation were deemed to be the main threats globally, Dr Vie explained how human encroachment into forests was also creating favourable conditions for hunters.
In Africa, 11 of the 13 kinds of red colobus monkeys assessed were listed as Critically Endangered or Endangered. Conservationists fear that two may already be extinct. The Bouvier’s red colobus has not been seen for 25 years, and no living Miss Waldron red colobus has been recorded since 1978.
The authors of the primate Red List did consider downlisting mountain gorillas to Endangered from Critically Endangered because the great apes had recorded a population increase. But they decided to delay reclassification as a result of five of the gorillas being killed in July 2007 by gunmen in the DR Congo’s Virunga National Park, which is still at the centre of a conflict between rebel forces and government troops.
During 2007, wildlife rangers in the park recorded a total of 10 gorilla killings. The rangers have been documenting their struggles in a regular diary on the BBC News website over the past year.
Despite the gloomy outlook, the Red List did record a number of conservation successes. Brazil’s populations of golden lion tamarins and black lion tamarins were downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered.
– from news.bbc.co.uk