#primateconservation

3 12, 2019

Paternity test and other surprises

As you know, we are part of an international study of the chimpanzee genome, led by a team of scientists from the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF). The aim is to find the countries of origin (in Africa) of the victims of illegal trafficking and thus being able to pressure local governments to implement measures to stop this trafficking as currently they usually wash their hands in the absence of evidence.

When Dr. Marquès and team presented the results, some of them caught us by surprise. The samples taken by the caretakers of each of the chimpanzees were used to determine their subspecies and the hypothetical country of origin. But in addition to the original purpose, the samples were used to verify possible kinship relationships and have uncovered a reality: […]

4 04, 2016

The Orangutan, the voice of the endangered primates

The Orangutan is the voice of the endangered primates. Even with all the conservation campaigns and available information about illegal palm oil plantation, this specie is still a part of the 2016 Red list.

The Orangutan is semi solitary and arboricole, adult individuals live alone once mature enough, but the mothers spend 8 years with their offspring to teach them the rules and dangers of the forest.

They eat more than 500 species of plant! They spend almost all their life in the trees, and have high cognitive abilities comparable to the other great apes; they make tools in the wild and have their own culture! Some techniques have been seen only in Borneo for example, passing their knowledge from one generation to the other. For many reasons, Orangutans remain a mysterious species; they are called the gardeners of the forest, playing a vital role for biodiversity.

With an estimated decline of 50% of the global population during the last 60 years, a loss of 15.5 million hectares of forest (24% of total forest area) was recorded between 1985 and 1997 in Sumatra and Kalimantan…

But helping them is simple: Boycott palm oil products. Look at the ingredients in your food, shampoo, beverage… And make the right choice!

13 03, 2016

International Macaque Day

This Wednesday the 16th of March we celebrate the first International Macaque’s Day, a great oportunity for them to stop being, once for all, the one forgoten primate.

Did you know that the Barbary macaque is the only primate, except from humans, that can be found in the wild in Europe?

The Barbary macaque populations are decreesing by vast amounts every year… The destruction of their habitat and illegal pet trade are leading this unique species to extinction.

About 300 babies are captured every year, snatched away from their habitat, their home, their family… to be sold illegaly as pets in Europe. However the day will arrive when this baby, obtained on a whim to be a pet, becomes an animal far different from the exemplary pet that they were suposed to be… What are the options now? Abandoning it, or locking it away in a little cage, depriving it from the little social contact you could offer so far, leaving it to a life in solitude with little or no stimulation. This situation forbides them developing the social abilities which are essencial for their physical and mental wellbeing , this can causes some abnormal behaviours to appear as repetitive movements or, in more severe cases, self inflicted agression.

In Fundació MONA we fight daily to rise awareness of the terrible situation the Barbary macaque is facing, and we work tirelessly to offer them the worthy life they were taken from.

Nevertherless, and despite the extreme situation of the specie, the Barbary macaque illegal traffic is increassing.
But you can now help us! Join us on this day and give voice to those who dont have it. We have a commitment to them, and every single act no matter […]

4 03, 2016

The Hainan gibbon

Hainan gibbons live only on Hainan island, in the south of China. At first their were considered a subspecie of the Eastern black crested gibbons, but their fur and vocalisations make them unique.

The Hainan gibbon is active during the day, eats almost only fruits, like figues for example. This specie is arboreal and the females give birth to only one offspring every two years!

In the past 45 years, almost 80% of the population has disappeared, due to hunting, habitat lost and also due to the fact that they only live on one island in particular. Curently only 20 mature individuals are still alive. The Hainan Gibbon is the most critically endangered primate of the world with only 25 individuals left living in a 16km² territory ...

When it first was discovered, Hainan gibbons lived throughout the whole of the island, but now the entire population is gathered in a reserve, the Bawangling Nature Reserve. This creates problems of mating, food ressources, impossibility to face a possible natural disaster and so on.

If this specie ceases to exist, it would be the first primate specie to disappear since 1700…