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Spider Monkey Conservation project: protection of the brown spider monkey in Caparo forest

Contributing IUCN constituents:BIOPARC CONSERVATION IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law 2021-2025

Project Details

Name	Spider Monkey Conservation project: protection of the brown spider monkey in Caparo forest
Description	Among the world's most endangered primates, the brown spider monkey (Ateles hybridus) depends on the protection of its forest habitat in Colombia and Venezuela. Its most critical distribution area is in the Venezuelan western plains, in the heart of the Caparo Forest Reserve. When it was created in 1961, Caparo covered 184,100 hectares of tropical dry forest. But in 30 years, more than 90% of the reserve has disappeared under the combined pressure of small farmers, large farmers and logging companies. Today, Caparo consists of 7,000 hectares of continuous forest and small isolated fragments of up to 150 hectares, subject to numerous natural fires. Despite being protected by the government and the University of the Andes, intrusions continue and many illegal farms are clearing and setting up to grow corn, rice, plantain, chilli or manioc. The critical state of the forest and the lack of knowledge about the species motivated the creation of the project by the native primatologist Diana Liz Duque Sandoval: to study the species, measure the threats and protect the forest with the authorities, train young researchers, raise awareness among the locals about the challenges of protecting nature, and involve small farmers to develop sustainable practices. In 2019, the Bioparc responded to the alert launched by the biologist to urgently secure Caparo by hiring four ranger guards to set up surveillance and ensure that pressure is controlled and reduced (as well as 3 other parks). In 2020, the Bioparc reaffirmed its support with the donation of €6,000 and continued to do so in 2021, 2022, 2023 and keep doing so in 2024 with the help of another zoo from Germany & Auckland Zoo (NZ).
Contributing IUCN Constituent	BIOPARC CONSERVATION IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law 2021-2025
Start Date	12/31/2022
End Date	12/30/2023
Conservation Actions	1.1 Site/Area Protection1.2 Resource & Habitat Protection2.1 Site/Area Management2.3 Habitat & Natural Process Restoration3.1 Species Management
Needed annual budget	$20,000.00
Total annual budget	$15,000.00
Staff	♀ 1 \| ♂ 4
Beneficiaries	♀ - \| ♂ -