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Howler monkeys, already a threatened species, are dropping dead and falling from the trees in Mexico, likely due to the extreme heat.
It’s difficult to say exactly how many monkeys have died in the country’s southeast tropical rainforests, but local media report that as many as 85 monkeys have died so far, as temperatures soar upwards of 45 C.
Officials with the Environment Ministry say they are investigating a number of potential causes that are killing the mid-size primates, including “heat stroke, dehydration, malnutrition or fumigation of crops with pesticides.”
They also said they’ll conduct studies to rule out diseases or viruses.
The deaths have been recorded in the southern states of Chiapas and Tabasco, and wildlife preservation groups are pretty sure the monkeys are dying off due to the extreme heat, but “cannot rule out other important causes.”
One such group, COBIUS, has been working to help howler monkey populations in the Tabasco area and detailing its efforts on its Facebook page.
“If you see monkeys that are weak and apparently suffering from heat or dehydration, please try to hoist a bucket of water by rope for them to drink,” it asked the public in one post earlier this week.
A source from Tabasco’s Civil Protection agency told Reuters news that monkeys have died in three of the state’s municipalities.
President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who is from Tabasco, also pointed to extreme heat as the likely cause.
“The heat is very strong. Since I’ve been visiting these states, I’ve never felt it as much as I do now,” he told reporters.
Mexico is facing some of its hottest temperatures ever, and earlier this month 10 cities, including Mexico City, recorded record-high heat.
Mexico’s brutal heat wave has been linked to the deaths of at least 26 people since March, and veterinarians and rescuers say it has killed dozens and perhaps hundreds of howler monkeys.
In the town of Tecolutilla, Tabasco, the dead monkeys started appearing on Friday, when a local volunteer fire-and-rescue squad showed up with five of the primates in desperate need of water, fruit and cooler temperatures.
Speaking to The Associated Press, wildlife biologist Gilberto Pozo said “something is happening in the region in terms of climate and its degradation…. A link in the ecosystem is disappearing.”
And it’s not just the monkeys that are suffering from a lack of water. The country is in the throes of an extreme drought that’s causing a water supply crisis. Millions of people in Mexico City are facing a diminishing supply of fresh drinking water, and experts say it’s on the verge of running out.
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