Red colobus monkeys are back in action.
Foreign oil pollution nearly made these primates, indigenous to the marshy Niger Delta region, go extinct. Oil spills were frequent, pushing former fishing communities to turn to logging for income, cutting down the monkeys' habitats.
According to Mongabay, there were only 200 left in 2021. However, Mongabay's newly released footage proves that their numbers are on the rise.
The SW/Niger Delta Forest Project, a Nigeria-based environmental organization, set up a conservation area to help the monkeys thrive. At the time of writing, its efforts had pushed the red colobus monkey population up to approximately 400.
Rachel Ashegbofe Ikemeh, SWNDF's founder, told Mongabay, "We snatched it out of extinction in the nick of time."
Camera traps are key to this success story. Installed throughout the designated conservation area, they help researchers and activists study the monkeys' behavior.
Without them, SWNDF would have no way of measuring the monkeys' health or population, information that is crucial to maintaining biodiversity.
Red colobus monkeys aren't the only primates that benefit from conservation. Humans do too. According to National Geographic, conservation can be defined as seeking "sustainable use of nature by humans, for activities such as hunting, logging or mining."
When biodiversity is maintained, these resources remain abundant. However, pollution disrupts biodiversity and warms the planet, putting these resources at risk.
Thankfully, organizations are working hard to conserve endangered flora and fauna.
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Definitely 🙁 For example, Penn State researchers in the U.S. found a potentially species-saving genetic variation in ash trees. In India, decades of conservation efforts helped pygmy hogs make a historic comeback.
Russell Mittermeier, chair of the Primate Specialist Group, praised SWDNF's efforts, saying, "It is indeed miraculous that this species has survived up until now." Hopefully, the miracle continues.
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