1st September: International Primate Day

In 2005, International Primate Day was established as an initiative of Animal Defenders International, an organization based in England, which set September 1 as the date to publicize the persecution, exploitation and pressures to which these species are subjected worldwide.

It is estimated that there are 704 species and subspecies of primates. Sixty-nine percent are threatened with extinction. Primates are mammals that typically have large, highly developed brains, forward-facing color vision, flexible hands and feet with opposable thumbs and nails. They often have slower developmental rates than other mammals of similar size and reach maturity later, but have a longer life expectancy. With the exception of humans, which live worldwide, most primates live in tropical or subtropical regions.

Main threats

Habitat loss: habitat loss is caused by deforestation as a consequence of the extension of logging, crops, cattle ranching and mining.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, mainly affecting chimpanzees, bonobos and mountain gorillas, the mining of coltan, a mineral used for electronic devices, brings several threats, one of them being habitat loss. While the cultivation of palm oil, an ingredient used in many of the cosmetic and food products we use daily, is one of the greatest threats to orangutans.

Illegal hunting: Great apes are hunted for their meat to be traded in local markets.

Due to deforestation and roads generated by mining and timber extraction, hunters gain easier access to the areas where they live and often hunt the mothers, who are the slowest of the group.

Illegal trafficking of hatchlings: the hunting of mothers allows for the seizure of orphaned hatchlings that enter the illegal wildlife market.

The hatchlings are traded for pets, for the entertainment industry, for use in laboratory tests and for zoos. It is estimated that for every captive chimpanzee offspring in the illegal market, at least 10 other chimpanzees died.

Human diseases: large primates, sharing much of our genetics, are also affected by human viruses.

Characteristics:

Some of the common characteristics in all primate species are as follows:

• They are plantigrade mammals that rely on the soles of their feet when walking.
• They have highly developed brains.
• Their hands and feet are flexible, with opposable nails and thumbs.
• Their weight ranges from 30 kg to 200 kg.
• They have binocular and chromatic vision to appreciate the distance of things.
• They have a long life expectancy.
• All species have prehensile hands, for grasping branches and holding food.