National
25 primate species threatened by extinction─── 10:50 Mon, 15 Oct 2012
Cape Town - Twenty-five species of monkeys, langurs, lemurs and gorillas are on the brink of extinction and need global action to protect them from increasing deforestation and illegal trafficking. Six of the severely threatened species live on the island nation of Madagascar, off southeast Africa. Five more from mainland Africa, five from South America and nine species in Asia are among those listed as most threatened. The report was released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature at a biodiversity conference. Primates, mankind's closest living relatives, contribute to the ecosystem by dispersing seeds and maintaining forest diversity. More than half of the world's 633 types of primates are in danger of becoming extinct because of human activity such as the burning and clearing of tropical forests, the hunting of primates for food and the illegal wildlife trade.
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