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ENVIRONMENT-BOLIVIA:
'New' Monkey a
Symbol for Conservation
José Luis Alcázar*
TARIJA, Bolivia, (Tierramérica)
- The discovery in Bolivia of a
new species of titi monkey,
baptised with the scientific
name Callicebus aureipalatti, is
a call from nature to humans to
take responsibility for the
conservation of wildlife areas,
say the scientists who
identified the ''new'' primate.
With the common name lucachi,
the monkey was identified in
late 2004 on the western banks
of the Beni River, in Madidi
National Park, in Bolivia's
northwest, by the scientists
Robert Wallace, of Britain, and
Humberto Gómez, of Bolivia.
The official announcement of the
finding will be made in
September in the U.S.-based
journal Primate Conservation,
which will publish an article by
Wallace and Gómez, scientists
with the Wildlife Conservation
Society, headquartered in New
York.
''The discovery of this monkey
should help us reflect on the
importance of wildlife for the
health of humanity and the
effort and resources we need in
the long term to preserve it and
prevent its destruction,''
Wallace said in a Tierramérica
interview.
There is celebration in the
world scientific community about
this ''new'' species, but there
is also deep concern about the
imminent disappearance of other
primates in Africa, Asia and
Latin America, including the
gorilla and the chimpanzee.
''The fact that today we can
find new monkey species in wild
areas of the world shows that
there is still much to learn
about nature, and Bolivia
represents a tangible symbol of
the value and uniqueness of the
Madidi Park as the most
biodiverse area of the world.''
The word ''aureipalatii'', in
the name of the new monkey
species, is Latin for Golden
Palace, the name of an
Internet-based casino that was
the biggest donor -- with
650,000 dollars -- to a
conservation fund for the
lucachi and its natural habitat,
in a worldwide naming contest
held from Feb. 24 to Mar. 4.
Wallace described for
Tierramérica some
characteristics of the lucachi,
such as its crown of golden
hair, bright orange colouring on
its neck and chest, reddish arms
and legs and a long tail. This
member of the titi monkey family
measures less than 50 cm, weighs
about one kilogramme and likes
to eat fruit.
''The live in small groups, are
monogamous, families number no
more than four, and they are
found in the densest part of the
jungle. In the mornings, mating
pairs exchange a kind of song
and they are always hugging each
other,'' he said.
In identifying the lucachi, the
WCS worked in partnership with
the Bolivian government's
National Service for Protected
Areas (SERNAP) and the private
Foundation for the Development
of Bolivia's System of Protected
Areas (FUNDESNAP).
In October 2004, WCS biologists
discovered another primate
species in Africa, dubbed the
Lophocebus kipunji, near
Tanzania's Kitulo National Park.
Today there are 626 primate
species existing worldwide. Of
that sum, 133 are in Latin
America, with 23 of those found
in Bolivia, including the
lucachi, whose discovery brought
the total titi monkey species in
Latin America to 30.
The Madidi, established in 1995
and ''a jewel of the world''
according to Wallace, covers
more than 1.8 million hectares
and is shared by more than 3,500
indigenous Tacana, Chupianon,
Leco and Esse-eja peoples.
The vast diversity of the park's
ecosystems ranges from tropical
forests to Andean meadows. It is
a swath of land excellently
preserved, says Wallace, with
altitudes of 180 to 6,000 meters
above sea level. The park also
holds an important extension of
untouched savannas.
Sharing the lucachi habitat,
according to FUNDESNAP director
Sergio Eguino, are healthy
populations of jaguars (Panthera
onca), giant otters (Pteronura
brasiliensis), spectacled bear (Tremarctos
ornatus), more than 1,000 bird
species, and a wide array of
rare orchids and other unique
plants.
The approximately 1,100 bird
species found in the Madidi
represent the greatest avian
diversity of any of the world's
protected areas. The park also
has more than 5,000 plant
species.
Wallace praises the harmonious
coexistence of the Madidi's
indigenous populations with
their natural environment, and
their adaptation to conservation
and sustainable use of the park.
These communities currently
produce coffee, cacao, honey and
incense, and studies are under
way for the sustainable
management of timber
exploitation, as a means to
avoid temptation for illegal
logging at the service of
outside interests, which more
than once have tried to encroach
on the reserve.
The Madidi is also considered
one of the 10 best places in the
world for ecotourism and
adventure travel.
(* José Luis Alcázar is a
Tierramérica contributor.
Originally published May 28 by
Latin American newspapers that
are part of the Tierramérica
network. Tierramérica is a
specialised news service
produced by IPS with the backing
of the United Nations
Development Programme and the
United Nations Environment
Programme.)
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