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DOZENS OF PRIMATE SPECIES ON THE BRINK: STUDY

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PARIS - Seldom seen species of lemur, monkey and gorilla are among 25 primates facing near-certain extinction unless urgent measures are taken to protect them, according to a report released yesterday.

Close to half of the planet's 634 known primate species are endangered, said the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The figure is up from one third of primates just three years ago. Of the top 25, five are on Madagascar, six on the African continent, three in South America and 11 in Southeast Asia.

The least likely to survive might well be the golden-headed langur of Vietnam. Only 60 to 70 individuals remain. But the most threatened species are not always the rarest. There are more than 6,000 Sumatran orangutans, but poor conservation enforcement has led to plummeting numbers.

By contrast, the Hainan gibbon is the world's rarest primate but the Chinese government has very strict conservation measures so it is not on the list, said Mr Simon Stuart, head of the IUCN's Species Survival Commission.

Globally, habitat destruction has been the main driver toward extinction. AFP

From TODAY, Friday, 19-Feb-2010

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