The Zoo is part of the European programme to protect this monkey in danger of extinction, listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List
The baby monkey is in perfect health and is being protected by its mother at all times
March saw the birth of a brown spider monkey (Ateles hybridus) at the Zoo, a species in critical danger of extinction according to the Red List from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Barcelona Zoo is an active participant in the European EAZA Ex-situ Programme (EEP) for endangered species, coordinated by the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria to facilitate the reproduction of this species. “These programmes aim to keep the population healthy and stable at a European level so that some of its members can reinforce natural populations through reintroduction programmes”, explained the Zoo director, Antoni Alarcón. In addition, the programmes seek to provide a vehicle for education to promote and support conservation activities developed in the natural environment. “The new model for the Zoo is committed to the preservation of biodiversity, particularly species like the spider monkey, which are severely threatened”, added Alarcón.
The baby monkey, whose sex is still not known, is in perfect health and is being protected by its mother Perla at all times. This is Perla’s third baby. The role of the mother is very important for the rest of the females in the group at this point, who can observe and learn how the baby is looked after.
Barcelona Zoo currently has a family group of nine individuals, made up of a male, three adult females, one of them at an advanced age, and five younger females born between 2016 and 2019.
The EEP programme for the spider monkey currently consists of a population of 69 individuals: 32 males, 35 females and 2 still to be sexed, housed in 16 institutions.
The spider monkey, in critical danger of extinction in the wild
The spider monkey is one of the largest primate species living in South America. It is characterised by a long prehensile tail, which it uses as an additional limb. The species has no thumbs on its hands, helping it to swing with its arms as it tends to get around using tree branches, where it spends much of its time.
The natural population of this species inhabits the septentrional forests of South America. The population has diminished at an alarming rate in the last 45 years, shrinking by 80%. The main threats to the species are the disappearance of its natural habitat, through deforestation caused by expanding agriculture and timber companies, as well as illegal hunting, as its meat is prized in many parts of its geographical area.
