But many of these species are severely threatened by habitat degradation and hunting driven by trade and consumption for meat and traditional medicine. A quarter of the species in the region are classified as Critically Endangered, and about half are Endangered in the IUCN Red List. In the latest Red List assessments, a quarter of the primate species in the region showed increased extinction risk compared to previous assessments, while the the rest showed no reduction in extinction risk. Urgent and targeted conservation efforts must be taken to protect the incredible diversity of primates in the Greater Mekong.
Genus Nycticebus, three Endangered species
Lorises
Genus Macaca, six species
Macaques
Genus Pygathrix, three Critically Endangered species
Douc langurs
Genus Presbytis, two species
Surilis
Genus Rhinopithecus, two Critically Endangered species
Snub-nosed monkeys
Genus Trachypithecus, 15 species
Langurs
Genus Hoolock, three species
Hoolock gibbons
Genus Symphalangus, one Endangered species
Siamang
Genus Nomascus, six species
Crested gibbons
Genus Hylobates, three Endangered species
forest gibbons
Primate species occurrence by country:
Cambodia: 13
Laos: 19
Myanmar: 20
Thailand: 18
Viet Nam: 24
Endemic species: 19 in the Greater Mekong
IUCN Red List Status:
Critically Endangered: 11 + 1 proposed
Endangered: 21
Vulnerable: 7
Near Threatened: 3
Least Concern: 1
WWF and other conservation organizations, government agencies and local communities are working constantly to protect these unique species from disappearing - by conducting surveys in protected areas, monitoring and protecting key primate populations, disarming snares, rescuing and rehabilitating primates from the wildlife trade for reintroduction to the wild, and running ecotourism ventures that allow people to learn more about primates in a safe way while providing livelihood opportunities for local communities.