Geoffroy's Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi)

Mohamed bin Zayed Species project number 12054533

The Geoffroy’s spider monkey is an arboreal species and needs large areas of primary forest. Fast deforestation rates and loss of suitable habitats are bringing the species to the edge of extinction. El Salvador has only 3% remaining natural forests and is the country with the smallest amount of protected areas in Latin America. The Geoffroy’s spider monkey has just one small and fragmented population in El Salvador at Bahía de Jiquilisco biosphere reserve. Till this moment, there is no information regarding the movement patterns of the monkey, therefore, we have establish the follow activities to have a better understanding of the Geoffroy’s spider monkey status in El Salvador:

Density estimation and mapping the species distribution: We counted the individuals observed and calculate the species distribution range and movement patterns, evaluate possible threats to the habitat.

Collecting of DNA samples and PCR analyses: We collected 40 feces samples, where we extracted 39 DNA samples for future analysis.

 

Workshops for the local people and involvement of community members in the project: We are working with 166 students with ages from 9 to 18 years old, in order to create awareness of the importance of the forest and the protection of the Geoffroy’s spider monkey species.