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This is the story of Matías, a churuco monkey who was rescued from illegal trafficking and, after years of rehabilitation, was fortunate to be able to be reintegrated into his natural habitat in Vaupés, a department in southeastern Colombia. But not all primates have the same luck…
Listen here 🔈 the report ‘Is this how we take care of our primates?’ by Colombian Sara Cely, a student at the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, winner of the eighth edition of the RFI Reporting Award in Spanish.
Among the main threats to primates in Colombia is deforestation. In fact, in 2020, 109,000 hectares of forest were deforested in the country, according to figures provided by the Ministry of Environment and IDEAM. This is equivalent to a little more than half of the capital, Bogotá.
These annual losses could compound other risks to primates, such as illegal wildlife trafficking. In Colombia, 18% of trafficked animals are mammals and among the preferred species are spider monkeys and marmosets, according to the Association of Regional Autonomous Corporations and Sustainable Development.
In addition, the illegal trade in fauna and flora is equivalent to the fourth most important type of illegal trade in the world, according to an Interpol report published in 2020. In Colombia, the traffic includes irresponsible hunting for pets, mass tourism and for the food of people outside the communities.
“Now as a former hunter I am a little aware that leaving something for those who come behind is thinking about the future. First I used to go ‘thump, thump, thump’, and now what I do is count the animals: ‘one, two, three’”, describes Casimiro del Águila, who went from chasing animals to protecting them.
The common thread of this report is the close relationship between the Colombian primatologist Ángela Maldonado and Matías, a rescued churuco monkey.
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