Attitudes towards urban howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya) in Paraguay

Abstract

Increasing urbanisation is encroaching into natural habitats and sometimes forcing wildlife into urban centres. Whether or not wildlife can thrive in an urban environment is dependent on many factors, one of which is how the species is perceived by local people. This study focuses on the city of Pilar in south-west Paraguay, which is home to a population of urban-dwelling black and gold howler monkeys (Alouatta caraya). Using semi-structured interviews, we assessed peoples’ attitudes towards the presence of howlers, whether they perceived the monkeys to cause problems in the city, what they believed were the biggest threats to the monkeys, and whether they felt that the presence of monkeys in the city was compatible with their way of life in the long term. Overall, we found that the majority of interviewees had positive attitudes towards the monkeys, believing that they brought benefits to the city and that they should be protected from potential risks in the urban environment. Our results provide the basis for collaborative, community-based development of management strategies for the long-term survival of these urban monkeys.

Human and Non-Human Primate Coexistence in Argentina: Conflicts and Solutions

“…In regions of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, individuals and/or groups of howler monkeys (A. caraya) range in small, forested areas of university campuses and parks [79][80][81]. They are also found in the middle of cities, like the capitals of Corrientes, Chaco, Misiones, and Formosa provinces [82], where they regularly use power cables to move (see a more detailed description of the effects of power lines below).…”

“…obs). In the city of Pilar, Paraguay, people's attitudes toward the presence of howler monkeys (A. caraya) were highly positive; instead of perceiving them as problem-makers, the majority of interviewees believed that they brought benefits to the area and that they should be protected from potential risks in the urban environment [80]. Even though similar studies are still needed in Argentina, the findings from this small community with many cultural similarities to the nearby Argentinean region are promising; these hopeful results have the potential to provide the basis for collaborative, communitybased, conservation plans that will find solutions to "urbanized" monkeys.…”

A record of diurnal birth and placentophagia in an urban-dwelling female black and gold howler monkey (Alouatta caraya, Primates: Atelidae) in the City of Pilar, south-west Paraguay

“…The presence of primates in urban environments is becoming increasingly common due to urbanization and anthropogenic development (Berry 2008). The behavioral flexibility of howler monkeys enables their survival in degraded or urbanised environments (Alesci et al 2022). Due to the increasing presence of black-and-gold howler monkeys in urban habitats, it is relevant to investigate the yet unclear potential impacts on their reproductive behaviour (Cárdenas-Navarrete & Van Belle 2023).…”