"Proboscis monkeys have declined at a rate of approximately 50% in the last 40 years...This is as a result of habitat destruction for logging and oil palm plantations, but hunting for food and traditional Chinese medicine also occur."
What's a proboscis monkey?
The proboscis monkey is an arboreal omnivore endemic to the Borneo Rainforest in Malaysia. Their most distinctive feature (excluding their specialized aquatic anatomy and tendency to spend most of their time in trees) is their long, bulbous nose.
http://www.worldlandtrust.org/education/species/proboscis-monkey
For the sake of focusing on the endangered-ness of these monkey, I will immediately explain the exact function of their oversized respiratory organ. The unfathomable vastness of our dear primate's olfactory structure contributes to the impressiveness of its mating call in terms of noise and power.
Adult males generally reach about 2.5 feet in length, and 45 pounds in weight. Females weigh much less, averaging 15-25 pounds. Proboscis monkeys tend to have tan and red bodies, with some gray on the limbs.
They also usually feature especially large bellies, this being due to their diet, consisting of leaves, seeds, unripe fruits, and other rather unusual plant structures, as well as occasional insects. To digest such foods these primates require large, complex stomachs and a wide variety of symbiotic bacteria.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/proboscis-monkey/
Why are they endangered?
As with the red panda, proboscis monkeys rely on trees for protection, food, foraging grounds, and shelter. Mass deforestation is causing these primates to lose vital habitats for their survival. The deforestation in the Borneo Rainforest is mostly caused by logging for palm oil and lumber, as well as urbanization. Proboscis monkeys are occasionally hunted for food, as they are considered a delicacy by some.
Why should we help?
Proboscis monkeys are endemic to Borneo, meaning that if they go extinct there or are brought to a dangerous low, there are no other wild occurrences of this species in the entire world. The conditions there are the only suitable place for this creature, and attempts to move a group into the wild anywhere else will most likely fail, just as most species invasions do.
How can we help?
Just Giving is working with World Land Trust to protect the Borneo Rainforest, or you can donate to World Land Trust itself to benefit numerous species.
Also, you can share this blog with everybody you have ever known and we could make a difference. Your choice (I say do both).
That is all.
Sources:
World Land Trust for pictures and information: http://www.worldlandtrust.org/education/species/proboscis-monkey
National Geographic for pictures and information: http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/proboscis-monkey/
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