Black spider monkeys (Ateles paniscus), also known as Guiana spider monkey or red-faced black spider monkey, are found in the tropical rainforests of Colombia. They are one of the rarest primate species in the world, and unfortunately, there is not a lot known about them. They are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
They may be small, only 2-3 lbs, but they have an important role in keeping forests healthy. They disperse seeds when they eat fruit and excrete the seeds in their poop, which enhances plant diversity in the tropical rainforests of Colombia. They really are extraordinary.
Despite being essential to the health of the forests, black spider monkeys are increasingly at risk of extinction. Some of the major threats they face are habitat fragmentation due to deforestation, being killed for bushmeat, and being poached to be kept as pets. Black spider monkeys prefer undisturbed habitats, especially mature tropical forests, which is part of the reason why they are particularly vulnerable.
Now, the good news. For the past six years, our partner, Neotropical Primate Conservation (NPC), has been working closely with communities on the Pacific coast of Colombia. Their projects are located in Venado Verde Conservation Area, situated in the Valley of the Cauca, bordering the Pacific Coast in Western Colombia. They aim to preserve 800 hectares of land in this region. The other two projects are the Alto Amurrupá Special Management Area, created by a local environmental authority that covers an area of almost 8,000 hectares, and the Marimonda Marshlands Reserve. This is a project that covers an area of more than 1,000 hectares of tropical dry forest.
This is almost 10,000 hectares of forest areas that are home to the Colombian black spider monkeys that are being managed and protected by local communities and local authorities.
One of the key aspects of our involvement in protecting the black spider monkeys in Colombia is working together with communities, local authorities, and the government to make action plans that will ensure effective conservation strategies to gain time and protect these primates against time and biodiversity loss.
A second activity is conducting scientific research. As mentioned above, there is not enough information about them. NPC collects firsthand information from remote regions where these primates live and conducts studies about what their needs are, reporting on their findings, and updating existing reports which will later help in planning and designing conservation strategies. All of this information also helps in mapping the species to understand their movements better.
A third activity is teaching young children, and other members of the community, about the ecology, behavior, and biological importance of the species. The idea is that within the community, there is an understanding of how to protect this species in the long term.
The black spider monkey conservation efforts in Colombia are another example where we can clearly see that community-based conservation is the future of biodiversity protection. It has the best impact over the long term, it is flexible enough to be used in communities all around the world, it is low-cost, and it is empowering to local people.
We are confident that continuing to foster community-based initiatives to protect endangered primates, like the Colombian black spider monkey, will not only be protected but will also serve as an example of how joint cooperation promotes biodiversity and conservation.
Please help us do more for our partners and communities working tirelessly to save wildlife and their habitats. Visit communityconservation.org/support to learn more.
