Principal Drivers and Conservation Solutions to the Impending Primate Extinction Crisis: Introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract

Nonhuman primates are facing an impending extinction crisis with over 65% of species listed as Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered, and 93% characterized by declining populations. Primary drivers of primate population decline include deforestation, principally for industrial agriculture and the production of food and nonfood commodities, much of which is exported to wealthy consumer nations, unsustainable bushmeat hunting, the illegal pet trade, the capture of primates for body parts, expanding road and rail networks, mining, dam building, oil and gas exploration, and the threat of emerging diseases. Over the next several decades, human population increase, agricultural expansion, and climate change are expected to contribute significantly to the loss of additional suitable habitat and a reduction in the viability of local primate populations. If we are to avoid this impending extinction crisis, primate researchers must prioritize projects designed to mitigate the effects of habitat change on ecosystems health and biodiversity, and play a greater role in conservation and environmental policy by educating global citizens and political leaders. In addition, the international community will need to work with governments in primate habitat countries to expand the number of protected areas that contain primate species (94 primate species have < 10% of their range in protected areas). In this special issue of the International Journal of Primatology, we bring together researchers from a wide range of disciplines to examine the current and future threats to primate population persistence, and present local, country, and regional solutions to protect primate species.

Anogenital scent-marking signals fertility in a captive female Alaotran gentle lemur

“…Of 504 primate species recognised today worldwide, almost half are classified as endangered or critically endangered in the wild—primarily due to human impact; thus, raising global scientific and public awareness of the plight of the world's primates is now vital ( 1 , 2 ). The most important actions needed for ensuring the survival of these irreplaceable species are conservation, research, public education and outreach, wherein zoos play a major role ( 3 , 4 ).…”

Demography and epidemiology of captive former biomedical research chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) 1: Survival and mortality

“…schweinfurthii chimpanzees in the Ngogo community, characterized by minimal human disturbance and greater food abundance, exhibited lower mortality rates and higher life expectancy at birth of 36 years for females and 30 years for males (Wood et al, 2017), comparable to CFBR chimpanzees MLEs (36–38 years for females, 29–31 years for males). Given that the Ngogo community was least affected by human disturbances, their demographic experience is possibly representative of chimpanzees in the evolutionary past (Thompson & Sabbi, 2022) and certainly before extensive development across Africa over the past century (Estrada et al, 2017; Estrada and Garber, 2022).…”

Behavioral thermoregulation in primates: A review of literature and future avenues

“…Evidence is mounting that climate‐related heat stress will likely drive adverse outcomes and mortality in animals (e.g., Carvalho et al, 2019; IPCC, 2022). As primates are already facing an impending extinction crisis (Estrada & Garber, 2022), insight is desperately needed into how primates will respond to future climatic changes. The goal of this review is to assess the available literature on primate behavioral thermoregulation, providing a centralized resource for understanding our current knowledge of how these animals respond to their thermal environments.…”