Populations of the yellow-tailed woolly monkey (Oreonax flavicauda) persist in increasingly isolated, threatened cloud forests in scattered areas of the departments of San Martín and Amazonas, in northern Peru. No long-term research has been conducted on this species in more than 20 years. The range of O. flavicauda continues to suffer rapid and widespread deforestation. From June to August 2004,I was involved in selecting a site for an extended study of its behavior and ecology. Here I document the species' continued existence and status in the Bosque de Protección (Protected Forest) of Alto Mayo. Three sightings of O. flavicauda provided a group size of 17–20 individuals—higher than previous sightings by Mariela Leo Luna in the early 1980s, who observed an average group size of nine. The difficulty we encountered in finding groups in the study area suggests that yellowtailed woolly monkeys have a large home range. This and its large body size, low density, low reproductive rate, its restriction to cloud forest and its limited geographic range, combined with a high rate of deforestation in the region, make the species especially susceptible to extinction. Urgently needed are a range-wide census of remaining habitat and populations, and educational initiatives and sustainable-use projects to ensure that the Alto Mayo Protected Forest is a truly protected area.

Primate populations were surveyed quantitatively at three sites in the Xingu-Tocantins interfluvium in southeastern Amazonia, the easternmost limit of the distribution of the red-bellied titi, Callicebus moloch. At least 101 km was walked at a given site, and total transect length was 812 km. Despite the typical abundance of other species, no sightings (or vocalizations) of C. moloch were recorded at any site. This contrasts with other studies in the same interfluvium, and surveys in other areas of southeastern Amazonia. While the determinants of the absence-or marked rarity-of C. moloch from the sites remain unclear, it does appear to be a natural phenomenon, possibly related to specific local conditions. The identification and evaluation of such determinants will be important for understanding the ecology and zoogeography of the genus. In the meantime, these results highlight potential problems for the conservation and management of wild populations, not only of titis, but possibly many other species of Amazonian primates.

Karyotypic variability in Aotus suggests at least seven species in the gray-necked group (A. brumbacki, A. griseimembra, A. lemurinus, A. trivirgatus, A. vociferans, A. zonalis, and Aotus sp. nov.) based on six known karyomorphs, highly divergent mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase sequences, different sensitivities to malaria, varied mitogenic and immunological responses to other diseases, and well-defiined geographical distributions, and the likelihood that these species are distinctive enough to possess reproductive barriers. We discuss these karyomorphs and explain why A. brumbacki cannot be an A. lemurinus subspecies. We briefly describe a karyotype for Aotus from Maipures on the Rio Orinoco and suggest that this represents A. brumbacki, extending our knowledge of that species' distribution to the Orinoco basin. We stress the presence of a new undescribed Aotus in Colombia from a completely unknown location, which we name Aotus jorgehernandezi in honor of Jorge I. Hernández-Camacho. We discuss the meaning and evolution of chromosome variability, the nature of Aotus as a sibling species complex and the use of the phylogenetic versus biological species concepts in primatology.

Antserananomby Forest was once a refuge of the rare deciduous flora of western Madagascar. Through primate studies that were conducted in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was discovered that the primate density and diversity in this forest was greater than any other known in western Madagascar. Although research at Antserananomby ceased in the 1980s, satellite images from 2000 indicated that the forests were still intact. In August 2004, we returned to Antserananomby to determine whether this site could feasibly become a location for long-term primate research and to assess whether efforts should be initiated to establish Antserananomby Forest as a national reserve. In addition to general assessments, we conducted diurnal primate surveys using the line transect sampling method. We found that the 8.6 ha of Antserananomby Forest have since been cleared. Due to recent demographic and attitudinal changes in the local human population, the surrounding forests are regularly burned, and at least some of the lemur species are hunted with lemur traps, dogs, and sling shots. In addition, the population densities of especially Eulemur fulvus rufus and Lemur catta, but also of Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi, Phaner furcifer, and Lepilemur ruficaudatus, have declined appreciably. We conclude that although all of the primate fauna appear to be present, the current rate of deforestation at Antserananomby is unsustainable. If no action is taken to conserve what is left and restore what has been lost, then the forests in this region and their inhabitants are likely to soon disappear.

Lemurs of the genus Eulemur, including Eulemur macaco, are usually considered to be generalized, opportunistic frugivore-folivores, with a high degree of ecological flexibility. They are thus regarded as being able to adapt to a range of habitat types, and therefore less affected by the loss of primary forest habitat. In this study we assessed the suitability of altered forest habitat for the blue-eyed black lemur (Eulemur macaco flavifrons) on the Sahamalaza Peninsula (northwest Madagascar). Our aims were to identify structural vegetation characteristics that are important for the taxon, and to compare their availability in a primary and a secondary forest fragment. Home range size and habitat use of four groups of E. m. flavifrons, the availability of food resources and sleeping trees, as well as plant biodiversity and plant communities were investigated. The forest fragments harboring E. m. flavifrons groups differed in a number of structural variables. The density of food and resting trees was higher in primary forest. Home range size of blue-eyed black lemurs was larger in secondary forest. The lemurs used both habitat types differently. In the primary forest fragment the number of plant families and trees used for feeding or resting was higher. The results indicate that although E. m. flavifrons seems to be an edge-tolerant subspecies, the taxon nevertheless shows some degree of habitat specialization. The lower density of blue-eyed black lemurs in the secondary forest fragment indicates that this type of habitat is only of limited value to E. m. flavifrons.

Here we present information on the conservation status of ruffed lemurs (Varecia) north of the Bay of Antongil in northeastern Madagascar. Two contiguous protected areas were recently established that traverse this region via blocks of forest connected by narrow forest corridors: the Masoala National Park, which expands further to the east, and the Makira Protected Area, which expands further to the west and northwest. The two extant ruffed lemurs, Varecia variegata and V. rubra, overlapped in this region historically and, on rare occasions, hybridized. As such, land north of the Bay of Antongil is a critical part of the ruffed lemur's northern geographic range. Habitat surveys and interviews with local informants were carried out in this region to determine the extent of suitable habitat for Varecia populations, to assess the extent of human exploitation of this genus, and to obtain data on the western and northern range limits of V. rubra. Interviews indicated that there are populations of V. rubra as far northwest as the confluence of the Antainambalana and Sahantaha Rivers. Surveys and interviews revealed extensive habitat degradation and lemur hunting in the three major river drainages north of the Bay of Antongil. The recent establishment of protected forest blocks and forest corridors in the region was critical, as these links will provide the only connections between Varecia populations that would otherwise be entirely isolated in forest patches surrounded by agricultural land. The geo-referenced habitat survey and the summary of interview results provided here can be used as comparators for future population and habitat assessments following the establishment of the protected areas. A primary direction for future work should be to examine how Varecia populations are adapting to conditions in and near forest corridors.

Surveys were carried out in the last remaining forests of southwest Tanzania's Ufipa Plateau to determine the presence, distribution and abundance of the red colobus Procolobus rufomitratus tephrosceles. In 2002, we investigated the Chala and Misheta forests. Chala was in poor condition, and no primates were seen, although it is not known if red colobus ever existed there. There was almost no natural forest remaining in Misheta, and we consider its red colobus population to be now extinct. Analysis of satellite imagery revealed that the Nsangu Forest no longer exists, and we assume its population is also now extinct. In August 2006, a previously undocumented red colobus population was discovered in Mbuzi, 55 km north of the only other extant population in Mbizi. Complete count censuses were performed in Mbuzi and Mbizi. A total of 1,217 individuals were recorded in Mbizi and 137 individuals in Mbuzi, giving a combined total of 1,354 individual Ufipa red colobus. Mean group size in Mbizi was 40.56 (n = 30; SD = 6.57; range 30–56) and in Mbuzi was 34.25 (n = 4; SD = 13.07; range 24–50). The Mbuzi subpopulation may no longer be viable and the subpopulation of Mbizi may be declining. Both forests are heavily degraded and require urgent conservation attention.

Recent surveys carried out in Cameroon in the Mbam Djerem National Park, in Gabon in the Bateke Plateau National Park, and the adjoining Bateke Plateau area in Congo, have recorded the presence of de Brazza's monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus) on both sides of the Djerem River in Cameroon, along the Mpassa and its tributaries in Gabon, along the Nambouli River in the Lefini Reserve in Congo, and up to the right bank of the Ogooué River on the Congo side of the border. These areas lie at the northern and southern edges of the Central African forest block, where rivers have relatively wide bands of riparian forest. As for the range extension of the talapoin (this volume), the species may simply have been overlooked by previous rapid wildlife surveys. It has an antipredator behavior that renders it relatively inconspicuous, tends to live in small family groups in the region, and lives in habitats that are difficult to survey on foot. However, unlike talapoin, it calls every morning along major watercourses, and can be heard for some distance. It is possible that the southern limit of this species in Gabon may be the Ogooué River. Future survey teams are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the long call of this species and to be aware that it can occur in gallery forests throughout the savannas of the Bateke Plateau and also in the area between the Mbam, the Djerem, and the Lom in Cameroon.

Surveys were carried out in Gabon in Mayumba National Park in 2006 and in the Conkouati-Douli National Park in the Republic of Congo in 1996 and 2000. Red-capped mangabeys, Cercocebus torquatus, (also known as white-collared mangabeys) were recorded in both parks in areas about 30 km distant from hunting pressure. The distribution of this species is known to extend from west of the Niger River to just south of the Ogooué River in Gabon, but its presence in Southern Congo, while suspected in 1949, had never been confirmed. These observations extend the confirmed published range by about 250 km south, and into the Republic of Congo. The published distribution is probably much too uniform, as the species now appears to be absent in areas with even low to medium hunting pressure. We call for resurveys of the sites where it has been previously recorded in the past to confirm continued presence and to clarify its conservation status. We also call for surveys along the coastal forests outside protected areas, especially within Gabon, to identify remaining populations.

Until recently, de Brazza's monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus) was not known to occur east of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya. However, after eight months of intensive surveys in the remote and isolated Mathews Range Forest Reserve of Samburu, we were able to count a total of 162 de Brazza's monkeys in 24 groups; including 139 adults and sub-adults and 23 infants. They were found in ten separate laggas distributed throughout the mountain range, with the highest concentration in the central part of the reserve. By extrapolating information gathered on this study—from interviews and field observations—the population of the entire Mathews Range Forest Reserve was estimated at 200–300. Although the threats arising from the human activities in the forest ecosystem are generally minimal, they were considerable on the lower elevations, affecting especially this species. The most affected habitats are those near human settlements on the lower altitudes (where 75% of the total population of de Brazza's monkeys occurs) since they are easily accessible. During the onset of the dry season and periods of drought, communities invade these areas with large herds of livestock, where they feed them on leaves of evergreen tree species such as Faidherbia albida, Ficus sp., and Olea sp. The people cut the branches almost denuding the tree. These species are important in the diet of de Brazza's monkey. The study resulted in the first record of de Brazza's monkeys occurring above 2,100 m above sea level. They were seen in Olkaela in the Mathews range at an elevation of 2,203 m.

Revising the grey-cheeked mangabeys (Lophocebus albigena group) in the light of the Phylogenetic Species Concept reveals more taxonomic diversity than was formerly suspected. The three subspecies recognized by Groves (1978) are diagnosably distinct, and are here upgraded to species rank. Most significantly, the mangabeys of Uganda, not recognized as distinct at all in the 1978 revision, are now shown to constitute a fourth species, Lophocebus ugandae (Matschie, 1912), which is apparently confined to Uganda, and as such probably Uganda's only endemic primate

We collected data on the distribution of booted macaques (Macaco ochreata) in Faruhumpenai Nature Reserve in South Sulawesi, Indonesia, in order to assess its conservation status. Methodology included censuses conducted along piecewise linear transects established at two sites from April—July 2006. The total distance walked was 45 km for the Matano site, and 20 km for the Kasintuwu site. Group density of booted macaques at the Matano site was 0.97–1.56 per km². At the Kasintuwu site, we encountered groups of booted macaques and Tonkean macaques (Macaca tonkeana), as well as mixed groups of tonkeana and ochreata. The group density of booted macaques was 1.45–2.00 per km². Overall macaque group density (i.e., Macaca spp.) at this site was 3.25–4.00 per km². Our study demonstrated that two species of Sulawesi macaques, M. tonkeana and M. ochreata, as well as mixed tonkeana-ochreata groups occur in the forests in and surrounding Faruhumpenai Nature Reserve. The results confirm a more extensive range of M. ochreata than was previously recognized; one that extends further north and northwest than the provincial boundary of south and southeast Sulawesi. The conservation status of booted macaques may, therefore, not be as precarious as previously thought, since their habitat is protected in not only two large conservation areas in Southeast Sulawesi (Rawa Aopa National Park and Tanjung Peropa Game Reserve), but also in South Sulawesi in the Faruhumpenai Nature Reserve. Nonetheless, because cacao is frequently planted on the borders of these protected forests, human-macaque conflict resulting from crop raiding may eventually pose a threat.

The northeastern region of India, comprising the seven states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura, has the highest primate diversity of the country. There are numerous populations of primates living in and around the temples of the region but none have been documented. Of the 17 primates found in India, 11 occur in the tropical and subtropical forests of these northeastern states. A primate survey was carried out from April 2003 to October 2003 in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Tripura to assess the status and diversity of temple primates. We found 16 temple sites in the region that support nonhuman primate populations of four species: Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatto), Assamese macaque (Macaco, assamansis), golden langur (Trachypithecus geei), and capped langur (Trachypithecus pileatus). Loss of natural habitat and increased conflict between humans and nonhuman primates were found to be major threats for the temple primates of the region. The study suggests the need for a special conservation program with community initiatives to mitigate these problems. Key Words: Northeast India, temple, primates, habitat loss, human-primate conflict

The western purple-faced langur is a Sri Lankan endemic listed by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) as one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world. The extremely endangered status of Sri Lanka's endemic langur, found nowhere else on earth, is due to the fact that it is primarily a tree-dwelling, leaf-eating monkey, the range of which includes the most densely populated areas of the country. In these areas of high human density, forests have been intensively exploited for several decades, and deforestation has adversely affected its preferred habitat and sources of food. During a recent survey, the western purple-faced langur was found most often in small and widely scattered groups, indicating that it is declining and has been extirpated in a number of areas within its range. This tendency, if left unchecked, would ultimately lead to extinction throughout its range. Although it faces a perilous future, certain facts uncovered during the survey indicate that it is still possible to prevent this monkey from disappearing forever. For instance, the largest forests where it can be found today are around two reservoirs that supply water to the 1.2 million inhabitants of Colombo, Sri Lanka's capital. Because of their importance to people and relatively large size, these forests represent the last strongholds for maintaining viable populations over the long term. Furthermore, the Forest Department, responsible for these forests, has indicated interest in replanting its pine plantations with native species exploited by these langurs, and thereby increasing its preferred habitat. Another encouraging fact is that most people living within its current range are Buddhists who have a strong aversion to killing animals. The cultural sentiments of people inhabiting the range of the western purple-faced langur provide an opportunity to create awareness of this monkey's highly endangered status, and help promote its conservation. Prospects and recommendations for conserving the western purple-faced langur are also discussed in this paper.