Primates.
“Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans have been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest, living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I would say that they have been in a way more successful than us as far as being in harmony with the environment.”
Dr. Jane Goodall
How to Help Primates:
Primates of all species are some of the most endangered animals on the planet. While the great apes suffer from poaching, hunting for bushmeat, and typical habitat loss for human activity, various species of the small primates have declining numbers due to population fragmentation and capture for the illegal wildlife trade. Research suggests that the Asian species of primates are the most at risk of extinction from human influence.
Several organizations help support the conservation of primates — check them out here.
Small Primates
Some species of small primate, like the mongoose lemur pictured here, are critically endangered, found only in a small part of Madagascar.
In fact, nearly all of Madagascar’s unique species of animals are considered varying levels of endangered due to rapid deforestation and the growing space demands of the local population there. Because this island split from Africa 170-155 million years ago, the flora and fauna that exist here became cut off from the rest of the world and began to evolve into the strange and fascinating species that we see today.
Western Gorillas
Gorilla Gorilla
The commercial trade in illegal bushmeat is the number one threat to gorillas in the wild. Gorillas suffer from habitat loss due to mining and deforestation, making them more easily accessible to poachers. Their natural range includes areas of the war-torn Congo Basin where civil war is ripping through their homeland, and weak law enforcement protections leave them in constant danger.
Male Western lowland gorillas, or silverbacks, develop gray fur across their backs as they mature. Gorillas are the largest of the Great Ape species, but Western lowland gorillas are the smallest subspecies. They live in troops of around two to sometimes thirty members, led by one silverback male, and few black-backed younger males, and several females and their young. A female may change troops many times throughout her lifetime.
Sumatran Orangutans
Pongo abelii
Orangutans face many threats to their survival in the wild, with the biggest threat being deforestation for the expansion of nonsustainable palm oil plantations. Palm oil is found in nearly half of consumer products, including food and cosmetics. Mining, illegal logging, and forest fires are also contributing to the decline of the forests they live in. And like all other primates, they are caught and/or killed by poachers for the illegal wildlife trade.
Opposite gorillas, who spend the majority of their time on the forest floor, orangutans are the most arboreal of the ape species and do not live in large groups like gorillas or chimpanzees. In fact, they are relatively socially solitary, though they do come together when there is a food abundance.
Male orangutans develop prominent throat sacs and cheek pads as they mature, which help amplify their long calls and may contribute to their “attractiveness” to females.
Chimpanzees
Pan troglodytes
Chimpanzees, who already experience low reproductive rates, are targets of poachers for the illegal wildlife trade. They are hunted for their bushmeat, which has become commercialized to supply the demands of wealthy local residents. Disease has been known to wipe out hundreds of these apes, as they are susceptible to most of the same diseases as humans. Habitat loss is another major contributing factor to their declining numbers.
Chimpanzees are our closest cousins — we share roughly 98% of our DNA with them! And much like many humans, they have very extroverted personalities (though some can be shy as well) when compared to gorillas and orangutans. They are highly social and live in large groups called “communities” in which specific hierarchies are established. Chimps form strong social bonds with another through grooming and cleaning behaviors
