In the Mexican southeast, over 200 mantled howler monkeys have been found dead due to habitat loss, water scarcity, and increasing heat waves. A scientific team of experts from the Institute of Neuroethology at the Universidad Veracruzana is responding to the emergency in Campeche, Tabasco, Chiapas, and Veracruz.
Autopsies on deceased monkeys suggest that habitat loss has led to changes in their diet, resulting in dehydration and vulnerability to high temperatures. Experts warn that the area remains on high alert as the hot season continues. While there are rescue brigades providing medical attention to vulnerable monkeys, they believe more support is needed to evaluate surviving populations and acquire medical supplies.
Biologist Braulio Pinacho Guendulain was among those who received initial reports of monkey deaths in Cunduacán, Tabasco. He then became involved in a rescue brigade that rescued vulnerable monkeys in the Chontalpa region, where deforestation and loss of habitat quality due to an economic development plan have left them susceptible to heat waves. Gilberto Pozo Montuy highlights that deforestation has exposed the monkeys to extreme temperatures, impacting their diet and water intake.
A team of primatologists is working actively in Chontalpa to address the emergency by providing medical care, observing wild populations, and preparing for eventual release of protected monkeys. Despite efforts by experts and authorities like Cunduacán and Conap (National Commission of Protected Natural Areas), mantled howler monkeys in Mexico face threats from habitat loss, hunting, illegal trafficking, and now heat waves.
The threat posed by these factors puts at risk the delicate balance of Mexican ecosystems where these crucial ecological role players play a vital role.
)