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| Golden Headed Langur |
The Golden Headed Langur
By Cindy Fuentecilla (Anth 102: 1501)
The
endangered primate that I chose was the golden-headed langur (trachypithecus p.
poliocephalus). According to The Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project, it is
notorious for its name because of its golden hair on top of its head down to
its neck. The rest of its body has dark brown/black fur with white fur around
its black face. The golden-headed langur has a long tail almost the same length
as its body making it an arboreal and terrestrial primate. This particular primate
is only found on the island of Cat Ba, which is the northeastern region of
Vietnam. The golden-headed langur is one the most endangered primates of the
Asian primate species. This particular primate inhabits the humid forest and
limestone hills of Cat Ba Island. They use the caves of the limestone hills for
protection and for sleeping habitats. As an arboreal primate its diet consists
of mainly leaves, but it also consumes shoots, flowers, bark, and fruits.
According to the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), even some
fruits that they consume are not consumed by humans and this is because of
their sacculated (chambered) stomachs to assist in the breakdown of cellulose
and large salivary glands to assist it in breaking down food. According to the
website, www.primate-sg.org, as of August 2006, the population of the golden-headed
langur was 53 individuals, compared to the 1960s with the population of
2,400-2,700 individuals. There has been a drastic decline in the population due
to outside human threat.
Human
threat factors have been the cause for endangering the golden-headed langur. Over the history of
the golden-headed langur, humans have been hunting and poaching them for trade
and traditional medicine (e.g. “monkey balm” used for medicinal purposes on the
skin). They were not hunted for their meat because their meat obtained a foul
smell to it. Tourism also has a light threat factor for the golden-headed
langur due to the disturbance among their habitat (The Cat Ba Langur
Conservation Project).
According
to www.primate-sg.org, the growth of this species have been critical due to the
fact that majority of the golden-headed langur groups are all female based,
with the exception of a few groups that include males. From this process, the
golden-headed langur has a low reproductive output. Once pregnant a female
golden-headed langur has a full and slow gestation period, with the outcome of
one to two offspring produced a year (www.primate-sg.org).
To
prevent extinction, protection measures must be applied to the golden-headed
langur. Since they have become endangered, conservation programs have been
developed to restore the golden-headed langur population. In November, 2000,
the Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project was founded and implemented by the
Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations (ZSCSP). The
Conservation Project made sanctuaries on Cat Ba Island for the protection and
growth for the golden-headed langur. They are heavily protected by rangers throughout
the island (The Cat Ba Langur Conservation Project).
It
is important to protect this species from extinction for the purpose of
biodiversity. Considering that each
species contribute to the circle of life,
having a variety of
species in a particular region is important to that region
(biodiversity.ca.gov). If the golden-headed langurs were to become extinct,
changes will occur on the island of Cat Ba, whether they are ecological or
geographical changes, such as the reproduction of plant life. Considering that
the golden-headed langur feed on flora and fruit, they are able to distribute
the seeds among the island of at Ba, therefore assisting in the reproduction of
plant life. That is why it is important to protect the golden-headed langur of
Cat Ba Island.
It
is important to save all primate species from extinction for the same purpose
of biodiversity. Like every other living species, each one plays a key role to
maintaining the functions of life and evolution. According to Time Magazine,
when primates feed on flora they are spreading the seeds throughout its habitat
for further growth throughout the habitat and maybe beyond (just like bees do
with pollen). Primates also play a key role for their predators when they are a
food supply for them. For instance, big cats of Africa depend on the meat of certain
primates and this is important for the growth of their population (Time, 2007).
Works Cited
Dani
Daniela Schrudde, Roswitha Stenke,. http://www.primate-sg.org/storage/PDF/Golden-headed%20Langur.pdf.
2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008. 27 March 2014.
http://biodiversity.ca.gov/Biodiversity/biodiv_definition.html#middle_column. 2008. 27 March 2014.
http://www.catbalangur.org/Langur.htm. 2004-2011. 27 March 2014.
http://www.waza.org/en/zoo/visit-the-zoo/primates-1254385523/monkeys-1254385523/trachypithecus-poliocephalus. n.d. 27 March 2014.
Mahr, Krista. http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1681018,00.html.
6 November 2007. 27 March 2014.
* * *
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| Western Lowland Gorilla |
Western Lowland Gorilla
By Cheyenne Armstrong (Anth 102: 1002)
The expansion of civilization and
advancement in technology has always been seen as betterment to the populations
of the world. With this advancement we are finding that many more animal
habitats are being threatened and often times destroyed, leading to the decline
and in most severe cases the extinction of species. Among the World Wildlife Foundation’s
endangered species list there are 16 critically endangered species, three of
those 16 are gorillas. I will be addressing the condition of the Mountain
Gorilla, a species that was predicted to “…be extinct by the end of the
twentieth century” (WWF), but through a struggle for survival and with the
intervention of man is expanding in population. I will be discussing the human
factors that are causing the possible extinction of this species, future
preventative steps that can be taken to protect these animals, and the importance
of the protection of this species, as well as the importance of the protection
of all primate species.
With
a population of only 880, more than half the populace of Mountain Gorillas live
in the Virunga Mountains, bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda,
and Uganda. Threats to this species caused by human actions include habitat
loss, disease, and poaching. With the repercussions of the war in Rwanda and
fallout of the civil war, waves of displaced people have encroached in and
around the mountain areas that are home to the Gorillas. With this thrust of human
populations into the Gorilla territory many retreated to higher parts of the
mountains, with elevations and weather conditions that are dangerous and often
deadly (WWF). Those that remain within the habitat are being forced to deal
with the destruction of forest land, construction of homes and buildings, as
well as “people harvest[ing] charcoal for use as a fuel source in cooking and
heating” (WWF), which in turn destroys the natural habitat. Considering that
Gorillas and humans share a 98% similarity in gene sequences, they can fall ill
to the same sicknesses and diseases humans do. Not unlike Columbus and the
Native Americans, the encroaching people subject the Gorillas to illnesses that
their immune systems have never had to protect against, often resulting in death.
The final major human effect on the Mountain Gorilla populations is poaching.
Although, there seems to be only a small amount of Mountain Gorillas being
targeted “…for bushmeat or illegal pet trade…” (WWF), there are those who kill
Gorillas to take their hands or other parts as souvenirs or to be sold. There
is also the added threat of Mountain Gorillas being harmed in traps that have
been set up to catch other animals (WWF).
Although
there are actions already being implemented to aid the survival of the Mountain
Gorilla there is always more work that can be done. The World Wildlife Foundation has been essential
in aiding the growth of the Mountain Gorilla populations through working with
the forest services to purchase and provide wood for the displaced people of
the civil war, in attempt to discourage them from turning to the forest to
attain lumber, working to reforest the areas that have been affected most by the
surge of refugees, and working to raise awareness to “…improve the management
of natural resources outside the park” (WWF). As individuals we can donate and
even spread appropriate knowledge about the issue when and where we can;
education is the first step in gaining attention and solving the problem.
The
protection of this species is important because Mountain Gorillas are an asset
to the environment and ecosystem, from spreading seeds around the forest, to
fertilizing the soil; Gorillas are an integral part of the local and
international ecosystem. They are magnificent creatures that deserve a chance
at survival, a chance that was only decreased due to human interaction and
encroachment. The importance is the same in protecting any endangered species,
however, since primates are so closely related to humans in studying them we
can gain a better understanding about our evolutionary past. Primates are smart creatures, with their own
sense of communication, family, pride, and culture that we still have much to
learn from. There are species that have not been as fortuitous when it came to
their decline and without intervention many have come to be extinct; for
example the dodo. The success of the world is dependent on ecological and
biological variation. In saving any and all species we are expanding the
variance in the world and rebuilding what has been destroyed, “Protecting
mountain gorillas ensures vibrant forests and livelihoods for local people too.”
(Matthew Lewis.WWF)
In
conclusion, Mountain Gorillas are critically endangered and being threatened by
habitat loss, disease, and poaching. Although civil war has caused a shift in
the Gorilla community, actions such as, reforesting, education awareness, and
donations are slowly helping to increase the Mountain Gorilla population. The
importance of this species survival is the same as the importance of any
species survival; we must strive for ecological and biological variation in
order to provide a better future for the world, and through the further study
of Gorillas and other primates we will be better able to
understand our evolutionary past as humans.
Works Cited
World
Wildlife Foundation: Mountain Gorillas. https://worldwildlife.org/species/mountain-
gorilla. World Wildlife
Fund. 2014. Web. March 22, 2014.
15 comments:
I really feel that we should try to save all endangered animals and primates! They are all important and vital to history and to the future. And is the golden headed langur classified as a monkey?
Great blog!
-Cajen
You should enjoy the next blog post then as it focuses on New World Primates. And Cajen, based on what you learned from the primate lectures, what do you think? Can the golden headed langur be classified as a monkey? Why or why not?
I enjoyed reading this blog because I completely like and agree with what is being said. A lot of us take what we have for granted and are under the impression that it will always be around, we need to make a change with our actions and help save our environment.
-Cristian Rios
Personally I think people are greedy so until there is a change in us or we have suffered, no one is safe. Further more, Little Capuchin guy is CUTE!!!!!
-Tabatha Pringle
That langur sure is cute. I think that a lot of people tend to believe that if (in their opinion) some random animal in some far away land were to disappear that it wouldn't make a difference. As Ms. Fuentecilla pointed out, if the Golden Headed Langur were to disappear, the island of Cat Ba would definitely notice. All species have a role to play and their loss will be felt if they were gone. I think that I am going to have a hard time picking a topic for this assignment.
it impressed me to know that the gorilla and langur are part of the environment where without them they environment would change its sad to know porches would only use them for their body part as a souvenir.
Very informative papers. I already have a good idea what I'm going to write about, but these helped me get a good outline done for my paper. I hoped you marked them both down for not having a cover page. (haha, I won't forget to do that again) I think these will help me do better on my paper.
Haha, they all had cover pages. Don't worry about that. I am glad that this post provided you direction for your assignment. These are fun to read, so it should be fun for you to write. :)
I really liked the ideas that both of these students brought forth in their essays, and they definitely did a good job explaining the importance of primate conservation. Thank you for posting these essays, they are both very helpful in terms of this assignment!
Fifty years ago, we "lost" about ten species a year. Now we are losing over 100 species a year and it is all because of man.
What are some ways that you think our nation can improve on saving the wildlife. I know a lot of wooded areas and forest are being taken down to build business but in this situation it also relates to humans loosing their homes. Its a tough situation It seems like some people care more about money then their own people.
First we need to make environmental issues a priority. Once we do that we can begin to figure real and plausible ways to fix this problem. We can reuse things, as well as fix them. We are too much of a throw away culture, particularly when it comes to (most things) housing. Take JC for example. Capitol Avenue has several huge houses that are abandoned. Why aren't those homes being rehabbed or torn down? What about the abandoned shoe factory? All of these areas are blights that can easily be fixed by rehabbing or removing and rebuilding. The reasons these things don't happen is because people feel a certain way about these areas and the proposed changes to them. Change minds, change worlds. Neither are easily done, but nothing ever worthwhile is easy.
Jovie Black
How can we save these primates? What actions do we have to take? I don't think individuals know the worth or the studies that can be done from these primates. Eventually will humans become extinct ? I like Apes, especially knowing that they won't attack you.
if we know what needs to be done to help these animals, why have we not done them to a greater length? its like face first into the problem and we still act like it to hard. yes I understand that something is being done like the WWF acting as a lifesaver to many animals. especially the animal on hand (Western Lowland Gorilla). I suppose my question why is the survival of our most fragile part of our world not broadcasted as loudly as shoes, or pop culture.
damia day
It's kind of sad watching some of these cute animals that are endangerment. it is interesting how The Golden Headed Langur that there are a lot more females then males.
-Jaden Clark
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