The 25 most endangered primates include 11 from Asia, seven from Africa, four from Madagascar and three from South and Central America. The list includes primates like the Sumatran orangutan of Indonesia and the Cross River gorilla of Cameroon and Nigeria as well as lesser known species such as the Greater bamboo lemur.
Almost a third of all apes, monkeys and other primates are in danger of going extinct because of rampant destruction of their tropical habitat, the commercial sale of bush meat and the trade in illegal wildlife. The remaining members of all of these species together would fit in a single football stadium.
Read the full story by Michael Casey in Sci-Tech Today of October 26, 2007.
Comment: This is simply not acceptable. Good neighbor policies should extend to protection of our nearest neighbor species against extinction. Besides, we have the most to learn about Homo sapiens from these species with which we share so much genetic history. JAD
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