Nearly half of all the world’s primates at risk of extinction

Endangered animals: the red list

· Study paints bleak picture for hundreds of species
· Loss of habitat and boom in bushmeat trade blamed

• James Randerson, science correspondent
• The Guardian,
• Tuesday August 5 2008
• Article history

The endangered golden lion tamarin. Photograph: Anup Shah/Getty Images

Nearly half of all primate species are now threatened with extinction, according to an evaluation by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The study, which drew on the work of hundreds of scientists and is the most comprehensive analysis for more than a decade, found that the conservation outlook for monkeys, apes and other primates has dramatically worsened.

In some regions, the thriving bushmeat trade means the animals are being “eaten to extinction”.

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