New World Monkeys

The Atlantic rainforest in Brazil has been called one of "the most devastated primate habitats in the world." Sixteen of the 21 primate species and subspecies that live in that ravaged Brazilian ecosystem are found nowhere else, and will disappear along with their habitat. The human population of the region continues to put pressure on the forests, which are cut down for agricultural use, living space, and firewood. The endangered woolly spider monkey has become a symbol of the conservation crisis in Brazil.

Other endangered species include the southern bearded saki (Chiropotes satanas, the yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Lagothrix flavicauda), and the Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii). As more and more of the rain forest is cleared, other New World monkeys will be added to the endangered species list. The only ways to save these endangered primates are to preserve their natural forest habitat, and to control the hunting of the rarer species.