Howler Monkey Die-Off in Southern Mexico.
Gilberto Pozo-MontuyMaría Del Socorro Aguilar-CucurachiFilippo AureliMargarita Briseño-JaramilloDomingo Canales-EspinosaAnaid Cárdenas-NavarreteLiliana Cortés-OrtizAlejandro Coyohua-FuentesFabiola Carolina Espinosa-GómezMontserrat Franquesa-SolerCandelaria García-DuranYuliana García-OjedaMónica Rosario González-AcostaJavier Hermida-LagunesLaura Teresa Hernandez SalazarCristina Jasso-Del-ToroJosé Alberto Lizama-HernándezIleana Zorhaya Martínez-RamosEdgar J Montejo-ZetinaGuadalupe Núñez-MartínezPaulina Y Nuñez-RamírezPedro Shautamai Pareja-BadilloBraulio Pinacho-GuendulainGabriel Ramos-FernandezAriadna Rangel NegrínAlix Fernanda Rivera-SánchezElizabeth Sánchez-DomínguezJuan Carlos Serio-SilvaSandra E Smith-AguilarBrenda Solórzano-GarcíaDenise SpaanSarie Van BellePedro Américo D DiasPublished in: American journal of primatology (2024)
In May and June 2024, a die-off of Mexican mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata mexicana) occurred in southern Mexico. This commentary documents the event, attributing it to extreme heatwaves, drought, wildfires, and habitat impoverishment. Despite their reported resilience to habitat disturbances, mantled howler monkey mortality rate in some areas reached 31%. Key evidence points to heatstroke as the primary cause of death, exacerbated by limited hydration and reduced dietary diversity in disturbed habitats. Immediate responses included community-led rescues (e.g., hydrating the monkeys), coordination of rescue activities by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) (e.g., managing donations), involvement of scientists (e.g., monitoring of primate populations), and assistance from government officials (e.g., providing legal support for animal management). This event underscores the urgency of developing action plans to prevent and attend future crises. Among other actions, we highlight (i) establishing primate care infrastructure with medical and rehabilitation centers; (ii) developing protocols and training programs to ensure rapid crisis response; (iii) fostering collaboration among government, NGOs, and academic institutions for effective crisis management; and (iv) developing targeted research on climate change impacts, predictive models, and long-term health monitoring. We emphasize the critical need for coordinated conservation efforts to protect wild primates and maintain natural ecosystem resilience in the face of escalating climate challenges.