The Andean night monkey Aotus miconax is found only in Peru's northeastern cloud forests, and is one of the country's three endemic primate species. Very little is known of this species; today largely limited to the records of Butchart et al. (1995) and a few museum specimens. Between 2005 and 2007, we observed A. miconax in various localities in the regions of Amazonas and San Martín, and recorded what we could of its natural history, distribution and conservation status. The Andean night monkey was observed to live in groups of two to four individuals, using sleeping sites at heights of 6 to 9 m. We have confirmed the presence of the species in 10 additional localities in Amazonas and San Martín, all between 900 and 2,788 m above sea level. It was recorded in various forests types, from primary to relict. Even though it is not hunted directly and can survive in disturbed habitats, the extremely high rate of deforestation in this area is threatening its long term survival. Research on the biology, natural history and ecological requirements of this species are much needed.

Prolemur simus (the greater bamboo lemur) is the most abundant lemur in the northern subfossil sites of Madagascar. Living populations still persist, but in low numbers within a diminished range, making it one of the most critically endangered lemurs. Over the past twenty years scientists have searched the south- and central-eastern rain forests of Madagascar. Despite surveys that encompass over 500 km², less than 75 animals have been found, with a recent total count of 60. More encouraging is that in 2007 two new sites containing P. simus were found: Mahasoa an unprotected 150 ha fragment east of the Ranomafana/Andringitra corridor (17 P. simus), and Torotorofotsy, a RAMSAR site near Andasibe (∼16 P. simus). Prolemur simus is a bamboo specialist with a patchy geographic distribution, which may be driven by the distribution of one or two bamboo species. Home ranges are large, group size has been observed to be from four to 26 individuals, and localities may be spaced hundreds of kilometers apart. Ranomafana National Park contains the only fully habituated group, and there are a total of three groups known in the park. We make recommendations for conservation action for these populations of P. simus. If immediate action is taken, we may be able to prevent the extinction of this species within the next decades.

Molecular genetic sequence variation of northern and northwestern mouse lemurs (Microcebus) was examined during a phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence data (c. 3,000 bp) for the entire genus. Phylogenetic inference of the mitochondrial DNA sequence data was generated from 132 individuals, representing 15 species of mouse lemurs. The database distinguished the 15 described Microcebus species and also provided diagnostic evidence for two further species. A comparison of the data for two mouse lemur species described from Nosy Be confirmed the existence of just one for this island population. The localities of the newly identified species are within the distributions previously recognized for Microcebus sambiranensis and Microcebus tavaratra. Formal descriptions, drawn from molecular genetic data, are presented for the two newly named species: one from Antafondro Classified Forest and the other from Montagne d'Ambre National Park. We revise the Inter-River-System hypothesis concerning the biogeographic patterns of the distributions of the northern and northwestern mouse lemurs according to our findings concerning the two species described here.

The Lesio-Louna and south-west Lefini Reserves in the Bateke Plateau region of the Republic of Congo are not generally included as part of the geographic range of de Brazza's monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus). I present here observations made between 2002 and 2007 showing the species to be widely distributed within the gallery forests of the two reserves. Most sight records were of one or two individuals, although groups of up to six were also observed. De Brazza's monkeys could be heard calling on approximately 50% of days at project camps, and it was the most frequently detected large mammal during MacKinnon List surveys. Detectability was significantly lower during surveys that began after 07:00, a finding that may explain why the species has been largely overlooked during structured wildlife surveys. A review of grey literature suggests that the reserve management activities linked to a gorilla reintroduction program have led to recovery of the species following years of heavy hunting. However, the connectivity of the gallery forests of the Lefini watershed to the major forest areas to the east is threatened by human activity. The maintenance of forest corridors to avoid isolation of the gallery forests may be an important consideration for the long-term sustainable management of the region.

Les Réserves de Lesio-Louna et sud-ouest Lefini, situées dans la région du Plateau Bateke de la République du Congo, ne sont généralement pas inclues au sein de l'aire de répartition géographique du cercopithèque de Brazza Cercopithecus neglectus. Je présente ici des observations faites entre 2002 et 2007, montrant que l'espèce est largement distribuée dans les forêts-galeries des deux réserves. La plupart des observations concernaient un ou deux individus, bien que des groupes contenant jusqu' à six animaux aient également été observés. Des cercopithèques de Brazza pouvaient être entendus depuis les camps du projet environ 50% des jours, et il était le grand mammifère le plus fréquemment détecté au cours des études effectuées pour les Listes MacKinnon. La détectabilité était sensiblement plus basse lors des études commencées après 07:00, ce qui pourrait expliquer pourquoi l'espèce a été largement négligée au cours d'études structurées de la faune. Une révision de la littérature grise suggère que les activités de gestion de la réserve liées à un programme de réintroduction de gorilles ont conduit au rétablissement de l'espèce après des années de pression de chasse énorme. Néanmoins, la connectivité entre les forêts-galeries du bassin de la Lefini et les principales zones forestières situées à l'est est menacée par l'activité humaine. Le maintien de corridors forestiers pour éviter l'isolement des galeries forestières peut être un facteur important à prendre en considération pour la gestion durable de la région à long terme.

With approximately 5,000 chimpanzees, Uganda is important for the conservation of the eastern subspecies Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii. The population distribution is highly fragmented, however, and the prospects for the long-term viability of many populations will be greatly improved if dispersal opportunities are maintained between major forests via migratory corridors. Chimpanzees in unprotected human-dominated habitat outside the main forest blocks are often ignored by research and conservation efforts. This study assessed the status and distribution of chimpanzees in northern Hoima District, western Uganda. The survey region covered 400 km² between 1°26′–1°37′N and 31°09′–31°32′E, and separates two major forest blocks, Bugoma and Budongo. Chimpanzees use small forest fragments along watercourses throughout this region, both on private or communal land and in small government reserves, and a number of distinct groups (‘communities’) are present. There has been no evidence to indicate that chimpanzee populations are isolated; on the contrary chimpanzees appear highly mobile in this forest-farm habitat, confirming the region's corridor potential. At one site in the region, chimpanzees occur at an estimated density of 0.66 individuals/km² which, if extrapolated across the survey area, implies a larger population than previously thought. Recent and rapid habitat change resulting from unregulated timber extraction and clearance of fragments for agriculture—particularly for cash crops such as tobacco—has exposed the chimpanzees, causing increased negative interactions between apes and farming communities. The chimpanzees in northern Hoima are unlikely to survive without immediate intervention.

A new, critically endangered species of tarsier, one of the world's 25 most endangered primates, is described from the remote island of Siau, North Sulawesi, based on distinguishing characteristics of the tail tuft, pelage coloration, skull, and vocalizations. Siau is part of the Sangihe Island chain, a volcanic arc composed of islands that rise from the ocean floor. There is a single previous record of a tarsier from Siau; a skull in the Dresden Museum that Meyer (1897) classified with tarsiers from Sangihe Island as Tarsius sangirensis. Sangihe and Siau Islands are geologically separated by about 60 km of ocean that greatly exceeds 1,000 m in depth. Genetic data for the new species are not available, but genetic evidence indicates that its probable sister species, T. sangirensis, is a relatively ancient clade. The observations of Siau tarsier behavior seem to indicate adaptations for predator avoidance, which is intriguing, since the human inhabitants of Siau hunt and eat tarsiers for food, and tarsiers there seem to be under severe threat of extinction.

Six, possibly seven, species of non-human primates occur in Bhutan: slow loris (Nycticebus bengalensis), Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis), Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatto), Hanuman langur (Semnopithecus entellus), golden langur (Trachypithecus geei), and capped langur (Trachypithecus pileatus). A variant of the Assamese macaque, named Macaca munzala, has also been recorded there. Natural hybrids between golden and capped langur occur in an area in south-central Bhutan. The Assamese macaque is the most abundant and widespread primate, while slow loris is the least abundant, with a small range in Bhutan. Primates are not hunted for food in Bhutan, there are large areas of contiguous habitats for primates, and there is, besides, a good network of protected areas in the country. Overall, it would appear that primates have a secure future in Bhutan. The main conservation issues come from development, such as the construction of road networks and hydroelectric projects, grazing by domestic stock in some areas at high elevations, and people living in protected areas.

Red-shanked douc langur (Pygathrix nemaeus) groups were located in the Son Tra Nature Reserve, Da Nang, Vietnam, and two preliminary censuses were undertaken in December 2006 and April 2007. Several teams located and counted Douc Langur groups by direct observation. Large numbers of groups with multiple members were located at various sites in the nature reserve. These findings are highly significant because reports over the last several years have recorded low numbers of Douc groups, and some have predicted an entire loss of doucs in Son Tra Nature Reserve. The numbers of Douc groups and individuals is also very significant since they may represent at least 60% of all of the living red shank Douc Langurs in Vietnam.

Five species of non-human primates occur in Sri Lanka—the toque macaque (Macaca sinica), purple-faced langur (Trachypithecus vetulus), slender lorises (Loris tardigradus and Loris lydekkarianus) and the gray langur (Semnopithecus priam thersites). The primates of Sri Lanka are endemic and considered to be Critically Endangered or Endangered. Here we report on some observations, information from interviews with local people regarding primate-human interactions, and also morphological differences in the subspecies we observed during field visits in 2004, 2005, and 2007. When asked, most people stated that they believed that primate populations had increased over the years, and many consider them to be agricultural pests due to the damage they inflict on crops. Due to religious beliefs, hunting and killing of primates were reported in low frequency, but some eat the meat of purple-faced langur for medicinal purposes. The most common methods people use to prevent monkeys from damaging crops are throwing stones, and the use of firecrackers or any other way of producing loud noises. The major threat that these primates face is the destruction of their habitat due to deforestation, human population growth and the expansion of various rural development projects. Public awareness programs for schools and through the media are needed to encourage the protection of these animals and their habitats.

Loris lydekkerianus is known to be the most widespread among two currently recognized species of slender loris in Sri Lanka. Here I review the distribution of L. lydekkerianus in the island, based on recent literature and data collected over fifty years ago by W. C. Osman Hill and William W. A. Phillips. According to the early literature, L. I. nordicus was distributed in the lowland dry zone of north and east Sri Lanka, while L. I. grandis was found in hills in the Central Province. Information gathered in this review along with an observation by the author, extends the distribution of L. lydekkerianus nordicus towards the southeastern coastal belt of Sri Lanka, and suggests that the actual range of the species could be larger than previously known. Recent observations raise a number of questions on the range, abundance, variation and the biogeography of the hitherto known and possibly unknown forms of slender loris, stressing the need for further studies on these little known taxa.

A survey of the distribution and population status of the capped langur (Trachypithecus pileatus) was conducted in and around the Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, India. From 2001–2003, we surveyed ten selected localities, recording 26 groups and a total of 195 individuals. The data was obtained using line transect surveys and total count methods. Capped langurs were found in a number of different habitats: tropical semi-evergreen forest and moist deciduous forests. Of the 195 individuals registered, 14% were adult males, 52% adult females, 2% unidentified adults, 7% sub-adults, 11% juveniles and 15%) infants. The smallest group numbered 3, and the largest 13, with an average group size of 7.5 individuals. The male-female ratio was 1:3.6. The most common size class of the group was of 7–9 individuals.

The proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) was surveyed in the East Malaysian state of Sabah to establish its population status and to assess threats to its survival. It was found to be more widespread and abundant than previously thought, with a minimum population size of c. 5,907 individuals found along major coastal river systems in Sabah. The distribution of proboscis monkeys appeared highly fragmented, with only five major centers of continuous distribution and numerous small isolated populations. Existing proboscis monkey habitats are increasingly threatened by human activities. Of particular concern is the clearing and conversion of important riparian and coastal mangrove habitats to plantations and human habitation, which result in fragmentation of otherwise continuous populations along rivers, and local extinction of remnant populations trapped in small forest fragments. Only 15.3% of the population estimated in this study was found within protected forest reserves, with much of the species' diminishing range habitats exposed to further conversion, extraction and disturbance. Urgent mitigating strategies are necessary to ensure the long-term survival of proboscis monkeys in Sabah. Immediate actions are needed to prevent small isolated populations from local extinction, and long-term efforts must be undertaken to protect important proboscis monkey habitats and re-establish connectivity between fragmented populations.

Tarsius pumilus is one of two tarsier taxa listed as Data Deficient. Known by only three museum specimens collected over the course of the past ninety years, it is one of the most mysterious primate species. Inferences drawn from these specimens are that it is a small tarsier adapted for life in the mossy montane forests of Sulawesi at elevations of 1,800–2,200 m. To this I add the further inference from unsuccessful field surveys that is unlikely that this species duets as do other tarsiers from Sulawesi. This raises the possibility that it is not closely-related to other Sulawesian tarsiers, all of which duet, and the phylogenetic position of this species becomes highly interesting. Fossil and biogeographic evidence are consistent with the hypothesis that T. pumilus is the sister-taxon to all other extant tarsier species. If this is verified, then the small size of T. pumilus is likely to be primitive, and other extant tarsiers, small as they are, might be island giants. I argue that “mountain tarsier” is a more apt common name than “pygmy tarsier”.

The western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) occurs in India (south of the southern bank of the River DibangBrahmaputra in the seven northeastern states), Bangladesh and Myanmar. The eastern hoolock gibbon (Hoolock leuconedys) is restricted to the state of Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India, and occurs also in Myanmar and China. Here we report new information that extends the known range of the eastern hoolock gibbon in India. Hoolock leuconedys was found in Koraonu circle in the lower Dibang Valley district beyond its previously known range in the Lohit district.

The crab-eating or long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) of tropical Southeast Asia is a widespread but rapidly declining species. The threats to the species are manifold and include habitat loss and degradation that increasingly result in conflict with expanding human populations in both rural and urban landscapes, as well as trapping and trade for pharmaceutical testing, research, and development. The greatest threat from the trade is in the Indochinese region, especially Cambodia where in 2003–2004 macaques began to be harvested from the wild, ostensibly for captive breeding for export to China and to the USA and elsewhere. The lucrative operations, however, may serve to “launder” wild-caught monkeys and appear to have resulted in their disappearance even from legally protected areas. Much of the impetus for this trade appears to be biowarfare research in the USA, the country that is the world's largest user of primates. Macaca fascicularis is classified as of “Least Concern” in the IUCN/SSC 2008 Red List of Threatened Species. It is imperative that the conservation status of the species be reassessed and that the impact of trade on the species be assessed by the CITES Secretariat.

The white-headed langur survives in just four karst forest fragments in China: one in the Longgang National Nature Reserve on the border of the counties of Longzhou and Ningming (NS habitat); a second in Chongzuo Banli Provincial Nature Reserve, Chongzuo County (CZ habitat); and two in Fusui Papen Provincial Nature Reserve, Fushui County (F1 habitat and F2 habitat), all in the southwest of Guangxi Province. The population is fewer than 700. We used GIS of Mapinfo Professional 7.0 and Arcview 3.2 to study karst landscape features (forest fragmentation and patchiness of natural formations and those resulting from or affected by human activities) in the known range of the white-headed langur. Results indicated that the NS fragment was the best conserved regarding the presence of natural karst hill system forest and the connectivity of forest habitat, and having the least agriculture. F1 and F2 ranked the second and the third in these aspects, while the CZ forest was the most fragmented and degraded by human activities. Most of the plains in F1, F2 and CZ were cultivated, given over to sugarcane plantations—the most widespread cash crop in the southwest of Guangxi province. The four karst habitats and their populations of white-headed langurs are facing similar problems, most marked in F1, F2 and CZ. Foremost are cultivation and human interference, then firewood collection and illegal hunting. Fortunately, the government has initiated some measures to mitigate the affects of human activities, including clamping down on illegal hunting.