Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Primates: It's what's for dinner.


48% of primates are facing extinction, including 70% of primate species in Asia.

Interestingly, you can't blame global warming for this one. Mostly, it's tropical forest destruction. Oh, and they're just too darn tasty.

Other threats include hunting of primates for food and the illegal wildlife trade, explained Russell Mittermeier, chairman of global conservation group IUCN's Primate Specialist Group and president of Conservation International.

"In many places, primates are quite literally being eaten to extinction," he warned.

"Tropical forest destruction has always been the main cause, but now it appears that hunting is just as serious a threat in some areas, even where the habitat is still quite intact."

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