London: Twenty five endangered species of
primates including lemur, monkey and gorilla face extinction
primarily due to habitat destruction and human encroachment, a
new report has warned.
The report by the International Union for the Conservation
of Nature (IUCN) and other conservation and research groups
also states that close to half of the planet's 634 known
primate species are to some degree threatened with dying out.
"Primates are among the most endangered of all vertebrate
groups," said Russell Mittermeier, head of the IUCN's primate
specialist group.
Globally, habitat destruction, especially through the
burning and clearing of tropical forests for agriculture, has
been the main driver toward extinction.
Of the top 25 endangered species, five are found on the
island of Madagascar, six on the African continent, three in
South America and 11 in Southeast Asia, the report said.
The least likely species to survive with a population of
60 to 70 are the golden-headed langur found exclusively on the
island of Cat Ba in the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietnam.
The two other species with less than 100 individuals are
the northern sportive lemur of Madagascar and the eastern
black crested gibbon of northern Vietnam.
The number of cross river gorillas, found in the
mountains along the Cameroon-Nigeria border, has also come
down to less than 300 due to human encroachment.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, February 18, 2010, 17:13