At the end of November, the most recent report detailing the world’s 25 most endangered primates was released. The report is a joint compilation by the Primate Specialist Group of IUCN’s Species Survival Commission (SSC) ; Bristol Zoological Society; the International Primatological Society (IPS) and Conservation International (CI). Updated every two years, it makes sobering reading for anyone interested in Primates or wildlife in general. However, it also highlights where our conservation efforts and research should be focused in coming years whilst potentially drawing people’s attention to the plight of lesser known species.
Habitat loss, deforestation, bushmeat hunting and the illegal wildlife trade are the primary threats to many primate species on this list. With over half the world’s primate species threatened with extinction, collaborative reports like this can be key in focusing conservation efforts and monitoring global populations to identify trends and declining populations before it’s too late to act.
The table below (adapted from Bristol Zoological Society’s press release) lists the world’s 25 most endangered primates (2014-16) with links to each species’ IUCN profile, where available.
| Primate Species | Estimated Number Left in the Wild | Geographic Range |
| Lavasoa Mountains dwarf lemur | Unknown | Madagascar |
| Lake Alaotra bamboo lemur | 2,500 – 5,000 | Madagascar |
| Red ruffed lemur | Unknown | Madagascar |
| Northern sportive lemur | ~ 50 | Madagascar |
| Perrier’s sifaka | 1,700 – 2,600 | Madagascar |
| Rondo dwarf galago | Unknown | Tanzania |
| Roloway monkey | Unknown | Ghana |
| Preuss’ red colobus monkey | Unknown | Cameroon, Nigeria (Small patch) |
| Tana River red colobus monkey | 1,000, declining | Kenya |
| Grauer’s gorilla | 2,000 – 10,000 | Eastern DRC |
| Philippine tarsier | Unknown | Philippines |
| Javan slow loris | Unknown | Indonesia (Jawa) |
| Pig-tailed langur | 3,300 | Indonesia (Sumatera) |
| Cat Ba langur (Golden headed langur) | ~ 60 | China, Vietnam |
| Delacour’s langur | 234 – 275 | Vietnam |
| Tonkin snub-nosed monkey | < 250 | Vietnam |
| Kashmir grey langur | Unknown | India |
| Western purple-faced langur | Unknown | Sri Lanka |
| Hainan gibbon | ~ 25 | China (Hainan) |
| Sumatran orangutan | ~ 6,600 | Indonesia (Sumatera) |
| Ka’apor capuchin | Unknown | Brazil |
| San Martin titi monkey | Unknown | Peru |
| Northern brown howler monkey | < 250 | Brazil |
| Colombian brown spider monkey | Unknown | Colombia, Panama |
| Ecuadorian brown-headed spider monkey | Unknown | Ecuador |
The full press release, as well as a download of the complete report, can be found here.