Many species of primates – including great apes, monkeys and their relatives - face an urgent and immediate threat of extinction.
Of the 266 known species of primates, 40% are considered to be at risk – making this one of the most threatened groups of animals on the planet. Among these are some of man’s closest relatives – the gorilla, chimpanzee and orangutan, as well as many newly discovered and less well known species.
Primates have a special place in people’s imagination. As well as the characteristics of intelligence, sociality and humour that these species share with humankind and which make so many people fascinated by these animals the world over, primates are often powerful local symbols for tribal communities – being considered as direct representations of ancestors or links to the spirit world. Despite the cultural and aesthetic values linked to many primate species, populations are falling at an alarming rate.
The Fauna & Flora International Vietnam primate programme currently focuses on two endangered primate species in Vietnam, the Eastern black crested gibbon and the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey due to their national and international importance and the immediate threat to their populations. The world renowned International Gorilla Conservation Programme ensures the conservation of mountain gorillas and their regional afromontane forest habitat in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Awareness-raising activities in northern Mato Grosso, Brazil, are using the Endangered white-whiskered spider monkey as a flagship species, in order to strengthen support for this unique landscape. Elsewhere Fauna & Flora International is increasing protection of Borneo's orangutans, mounting undercover operations to combat illegal activities such as logging, poaching, forest encroachment and stone quarrying that threaten the habitat and therefore the survival of this magnificent primate and other species.
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Conservation and human needs are inextricably linked, download our leaflet that describes how we integrate conservation and human needs.
