Bald uakari (Cacajao calvus spp.)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 12054565

The mission of NGO Proyecto Mono Tocón is the protection of the San Martin Titi Monkey (Callicebus oenanthe) and other Peruvian Primates through education, research and direct conservation activities. The proposed project for which funding is applied is to continue our research on a newly discovered population of bald uakaris (Cacajao spp) in the mountains of the San Martin and Loreto departments. This popupulation may represent an undescribed subspecies. As there is no information on its exact distribution, conservation measures are difficult. The taxon might be critically endangered due to its restricted distribution. 

It is clear that, if we want to have a better knowledge of the distribution of the "mountain uakaris" living in the Cahuapanas Mountain Range of San Martin, a more thorough study will be necessary. The first study already gave some important indications on the distribution range:

- The species had never been reported in the Bosque de Protección Alto Mayo, and we therefore assume that the western range limit will be in the eastern part of this conservation area.  
- The species is not known in the western lowlands between the Cahuapanas and the Marañon River.
- The species is not known near the village of "El Alamo", just southeast of the Cahuapanas, and we can assume that this is village near the eastern range limit.
- The species is not (no longer?) known south of the Mayo River, nor from the lowlands just north of this river.

Although the above mentioned eastern, southern and western limits are -until further research- nothing more than assumptions, it seems reasonable to focus at this moment at the determination of the northern range limit. We already know that uakaris cannot be found in the western lowlands near the Marañon River, but there is still the possibility that they live in the large eastern lowland area, in the triangle between the Marañon River and the Huallaga River. This area is sparsely populated, and access is difficult. However, there is much forest and little is known about the primates living in these forests. 

For this study we intent to conduct two extensive surveys in this region, in order to determine if uakaris live here, but also to collect information on the distribution of other primates. The expeditions will lead us through areas where never any scientific research has been conducted, and we expect to collect additional information on the distribution of other Peruvian primate species.

Proyecto Mono Tocón is officially registred as a Peruvian NGO. It has six local employees and has a training program for Peruvian students of the local universities. It receives support from many international conservation associations and zoos for its work for the conservation of the critically endangered San Martin titi monkey and other endangered primates. Our discovery of this isolated mountain population of uakaris was exciting, and warrants additional research.