Monkeys falling dead from trees as intense heat hits Mexico
Over 100 howler monkeys have been found dead as the country reaches highs of 133 degrees Fahrenheit.
Over 100 howler monkeys have been found dead within just weeks as a heatwave in Mexico continues to impact wildlife.
The deaths have been reported in four states across the country, with tests confirming that many of the animals had died from heatstroke, Mexico’s Environment Department said in a statement last week.
At least 157 monkey deaths have been recorded since early May, after a wildlife biologist in the state of Tabasco initially reported that monkeys were literally falling from trees.
Howler monkeys are a species native to South and Central American forests. They survive on leaves and fruit, and are known for their loud howls which can be heard up to three miles away.
There were early suspicions that the mass monkey deaths may have been caused by a disease, but later tests confirmed that intense heat and dehydration was responsible.
Credit: Dr. Ariel Rodriguez-Vargas
Mexico has been gripped by a deadly heatwave in recent weeks, which has already claimed the lives of over 60 people since it began over a month ago. The temperature has regularly exceeded 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) in many states.
The intensity of the heat has been made worse as the majority of the country is also suffering from a drought, alongside over a hundred reported wildfires that have been burning this month.
A “lack of water in the streams and springs in the areas where the monkeys live” was also a factor in the heat-related monkey deaths, environment officials said.
Birds have also been reported to be particularly struggling to cope with the high temperatures and restricted water access.
Credit: Charles J. Sharp
"We've never seen a situation like what's happening right now," Ena Buenfil, the director of the Selva Teenek eco-park, told The Associated Press. The eco-park has been inundated with dehydrated birds, including bats, toucans, and parrots. "There are going to be a lot of casualties to the ecosystem if we continue this trend of heat waves in the region," Buenfil added.
Wildlife authorities have begun distributing water supplies in areas where howler monkeys live, and a mobile veterinary facility has been treating the small number of dehydrated monkeys who were found still alive.
However, there are concerns about the safety of releasing recovered animals back into the wild as temperatures continue to soar.
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