In Colombia’s Magdalena River Valley, accelerated rates of habitat loss and degradation threaten the Critically Endangered brown spider monkey, as their rainforests are cleared for cattle ranching and agro-industrial fields. With decades of experience conserving this umbrella species, Andrés and his NGO Fundación Proyecto Primates team encourage sustainable development while fostering protection of the area’s unique biodiversity and the well-being of local communities.

FOREST ENGINEERS

The project’s area is part of the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena global biodiversity hotspot and is home to many threatened and ecologically important species such as the jaguar, puma, lowland tapir and the Blue-billed Curassow. The conservation of brown spider monkeys encompasses many other species as well as being crucial to the health of their habitat, as they maintain the diversity and dynamics of tropical forests through their seed dispersal services. Brown spider monkeys are one of the most endangered primates in the world, mainly due to their reliance on large pristine forests and their low reproductive cycles. Thus, they are one of the first species to go locally extinct in northern South America when exposed to habitat degradation and fragmentation.

GROWING THREATS

More than 85% of brown spider monkeys’ habitat has been lost, mostly due to extensive cattle ranching and large-scale agriculture. The heavily fragmented habitat reduces their ability to move to find food or new mates, increasing their extinction risk. The recent drying of wetland for oil palm industries, forest clearings and deviation of water courses pose new and immediate threats to the diverse wildlife in the middle Magdalena River basin. Andrés’ project aims to increase habitat quality and protect the remaining forests through voluntary conservation agreements with private landowners and expanding a community-based restoration program to reconnect the additional forests and isolated wildlife populations in the region. The only long-term project on brown spider monkey conservation, they will also develop the first community based wildlife monitoring project on the species to provide robust results on their population trends and evaluate their use of the restored corridors.

COMMUNITY CELEBRATION

Over many years, Andrés and his team have collaborated with local communities to raise awareness on the need to protect brown spider monkeys and their habitats whilst co-developing sustainable livelihoods that reduce pressure on these last remains of forests and wetlands. They have launched citizen science programmes in high schools, training in restoration ecology, and the Brown Spider Monkey Festival, a popular community celebration now in its tenth year. As a “greenhouse” for young ecologists and conservationists, over 200 students from more than 25 universities, from at least 12 different countries, have trained with Fundación Proyecto Primates and are already contributing to the conservation of biodiversity in the Americas and worldwide.

WITH THE WHITLEY AWARD, ANDRÉS AND HIS TEAM WILL:

• Increase the area of forests under private protection by landowners from 500 to 2000 hectares, through five new conservation agreements
• Improve landscape connectivity for brown spider monkeys and other wildlife by planting six new restoration corridors
• Deploy a network of terrestrial and arboreal camera traps to monitor wildlife populations and evaluate corridor use, sharing lessons learned
• Build capacity within local schools and communities on restoration ecology, camera trapping and wildlife monitoring

TOP FACTS:

• Brown spider monkeys can spend decades living with the same individuals in stable social groups and their social relations are very complex.
• Three albino spider monkeys from the project were chosen as Fundación Proyecto Primates’ ambassadors for conservation.
• Brown spider monkeys are one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world.

Image credits: Ana Malagón (Brown Spider Monkey)