Chimpanzees and orangutans are on the brink of extinction, a top scientist has warned.
Brazil, Madagascar, Indonesia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo alone harbor two-thirds of all primate species – and a staggering 60 percent of those are threatened with extinction.
Among the primates at risk are chimpanzees, orangutans and lowland gorillas.
Species in Madagascar and Indonesia are thought to be most at risk, with 90 percent reporting a rapid decline in numbers.
Conservation expert Professor Anna Nekaris warned: “Many iconic species will be lost unless these countries, international organizations, consumer nations and global citizens take immediate action to protect primate populations and their habitats.”
“People do not realize that in their daily lives, by consuming less and making more ecologically friendly consumer choices, such as reducing the use of single-use plastic and eating food grown locally, they can have direct impacts on tropical forests and the long-term sustainability of biodiversity.””
A report, published in the academic journal PeerJ, using information from the World Bank and the United Nations database found that species in Brazil face losing 80 percent of their habitat in the coming decades.
Co-author Dr. Susan Cheyne added: “More protected areas are needed together with corridors along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients to reduce isolation, along with forest restoration projects that can be beneficial to people’s livelihoods.”
The researchers also called for more effective enforcement of laws prohibiting hunting and trading in these endangered creatures, as well as excessive deforestation.