RESEARCHERS WARN MONKEY EXTINCTION COULD BE TIP OF THE ICEBERG
WebPosted Tue Nov  7 14:36:36 2000

DURHAM, N.C. --"Miss Waldron's red colobus monkey" is extinct according 
to researchers at Duke University. It was a little-known, little-studied 
creature, but scientists fear its disappearance could herald the start 
of an "extinction spasm" of West African species. 

 The monkey, named after a companion of naturalist Willoughby Lowe in 
1933, lived in Ghana and the Ivory Coast. Suspecting the monkey's 
restricted range and heavy hunting may have caused it to go extinct, 
researchers launched a series of surveys in 1993 to find the animal. 

 They were quite confident that if the monkeys still existed they would 
observe or hear them since the monkey is large, colorful and noisy, with 
distinctive loud calls. 

 After six years of searching in 19 different forested areas, as well as 
extensive questioning of local residents, hunters and park and forest 
department personnel, the monkeys were nowhere to be seen. Scientists 
concluded they had gone extinct. 

 Concern for other species 

 During their surveys, the scientists found that other large-bodied 
monkeys in the same regions were becoming rare. The researchers 
attributed the change to hunting and habitat loss. 

 Dr. Struhsaker and the extinct colobus monkey Dr. Thomas Struhsaker of 
Duke University says although colobus monkeys are protected by law, 
hunting abounds because the laws are not enforced. According to 
Struhsaker, the extinction of the monkey is only the beginning of a 
larger ecological disaster. 

 "We are losing a great deal of the mega-fauna of West Africa, as well as 
Central Africa," he says. Struhsaker says the list includes not only 
primates, but forest antelope called duikers, pygmy hippo, forest 
buffalo, bongo and in some places, elephant. 

 Struhsaker says a multi-pronged program of urgent measures is needed, 
including improved law enforcement and establishing more protected 
areas. He also called for steps to reduce or even eliminate immigration 
into areas near parks and forest reserves. 

 Help that hinders 

 Struhsaker also cited misguided international conservation policy as 
contributing to the extinctions. 

 He says much of the money being invested into development is being 
directed inappropriately. He says using the funds for economic 
development is not a proven strategy. 

 Using examples of environmental degradation in the United States, where 
the economy is good, Struhsaker says improved living standards for 
humans don't necessarily result in the local people leaving the forests 
and animals alone. 

 Co-authors of the report are John Oates of Hunter College, Michael 
Abedi-Lartey of the Ghana Wildlife Department, Scott McGraw of Ohio 
State University, Thomas Struhsaker of Duke University and George 
Whitesides of Guilford Technical Community College. 

 
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