P1252109402ExPIV

1
Primate conservation in the Alto Mayo, northern
Peru.
The Río Mayo is one of the main tributaries of
the Río Huallaga in northern Peru. Its upper
valley, the Alto Mayo, is located on the western
edge of the Tropical Andes biodiversity
hotspot. (Conservation International, 2005) 1
. Numerous human-imposed factors pose serious
threats to biodiversity in the region, including
road building, oil exploration, invasive alien
species and above all, clearing for agricultural
purposes. Three primate species are endemic to
the Alto Mayo the Andean (or Rio Mayo) titi
monkey (Callicebus oenanthe), the yellow-tailed
woolly monkey (Oreonax flavicauda) and the Andean
night monkey (Aotus miconax). None of these
species are well studied, and all three may be in
critical danger of extinction.
Callicebus oenanthe
Oreonax flavicauda
Aotus miconax (all rescued monkeys)

• The Ikamaperu project was established by Helene
  and Carlos Palomino to address immediate threats
  to primates in northern Peru hunting, the pet
  trade and habitat loss. Their work has three main
  focuses
• To collaborate with INRENA (the Peruvian
  Institute of Natural Resources) in order to
  improve law enforcement and increase protection
  for the most threatened primate species and to
  provide an exemplary rescue centre for individual
  primates confiscated from the pet trade.
• To increase awareness of vulnerable endemic
  primate species amongst rural and indigenous
  communities in Alto Mayo.
• To protect the rapidly diminishing habitat of
  the Andean titi monkey along the upper Rio Mayo
  valley.

Ikamaperus reserve along the Rio Mayo
Ikamaperu owns and manages a 74 hectare reserve
in the upper Rio Mayo valley. A recent survey
of the reserve confirmed the presence of
approximately 23 groups of the rare Andean titi
monkey (Callicebus oenanthe) 2. At least six
additional groups live in forest immediately
adjacent to the reserve.  Population density is
unusually high for C. oenanthe at Tarangue
approximately 1.4 individuals per ha.  It is
possible that Tarangue serves as a refuge for
individuals or groups of C. oenanthe displaced by
the destruction of surrounding habitat.
Ikamaperu is gathering funds to purchase
neighbouring lands before remaining patches of
forest are destroyed and to link patches of
habitat via replanted tree corridors. Immediate
measures to prevent further destruction or
fragmentation within the Andean titi monkeys
very small geographic range are essential in
order to allow the species to persist.
Andean titi monkey photographed during a survey
of the reserve (B. Aldrich)
1 CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL (2005)
Biodiversity hotspots online. Conservation
International. Available atwww.biodiversityhotspo
ts.org 15 October 2005. 2 ALDRICH, B.C.
(2006) A song-based survey of the Andean titi
monkey (Callicebus oenanthe) at Tarangue, with
notes on its vocalizations. Dissertation (MSc).
Oxford Brookes University.
Ikamaperu staff working with rescued woolly
monkeys.
A project sponsored by the Conservation
Working Party of the
UK contact Lucy Molleson lt lucymolleson_at_yahoo.co
.ukgt Peru contact Helene Collongues
ltikamaperou_at_yahoo.frgt
Replanting tree corridors between forest
fragments on the reserve.