(ORDO NEWS) — A team of scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Oxford Brookes University, UK, have found that a rare monkey species in Bolivia has adapted to life in a “depleted” forest. Animals have begun to diet and move less to conserve energy.
Although animals are adapting to such conditions, deforestation must stop.
The monkey (Plecturocebus olallae, or Ollala’s Leaper) has an energy-minimizing strategy that allows it to continue living in the thinning forests of southwestern Llanos de Moxos, the largest wetland in the Amazon.
The team observed a shift in diet during the dry season. From fruits, animals have moved on to alternative foods such as seeds, lichens and mushrooms.
In addition, the monkeys have reduced their activity. Instead of going outside their homes in search of fruits and other foods, they simply began to use less energy.
The problem of deforestation
However, the authors say that even if the animals adapt to life in thinning forests, the problem of deforestation and further fragmentation of the range of these endemic and endangered primates still needs to be addressed.
The authors of the paper noted that in December 2021, the WCS in Bolivia received the National Biodiversity Science Award for its work over the past two decades in studying and developing measures for the conservation of endemic monkeys.
However, the efforts of scientists and conservation organizations are simply not enough to save many species in the future. People should stop cutting down forests.
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.