Primate Conservation
The conservation of primates and their habitat is a point of major concern for many environmentalists, zoologists and even regular people that have an interest and/or passion for maintaining and sustaining wildlife. There is a litany of different reasons for primates and their conservation status being in danger and those will be covered in this report. Whether it be over-harvesting, habitat destruction or other things, there are many things happening at the same time that are creating a confluence of crisis for primates. While many primates are safe in zoos and other conservation areas, many other primates are seeing their habitat and way of sustaining themselves disappear.
Analysis
As described by the University of Michigan, there are many things that come, go and otherwise changes in this world. In most cases, what happens years from now is just a different combination or version of what is already going on. However, that is really not the case with conservation. When an area is laid to waste for development or is depleted of its natural resources or terrain (e.g. strip mining), the damage is often very slow to heal or it can even be permanent. Because of all of this, anywhere from a third to a half of all primates are endangered at this time. The overall estimate is roughly forty-two percent of all primate species. What happens (or does not happen) to those species will most likely be decided with at least some finality within the next generation...
As such,
economics and societal cues are indeed part of the calculus when it comes to what species are endangered and what precisely is happening to endanger them (Estrada, 2013). Further, the reproductive cycle of many primates is less than speedy. For example, the average chimpanzee will produce a baby about once every five to six years and about half of those babies are dead within the first two years of life. In short, it is possible for a
population to bounce back after it has been reduced or otherwise affected but it absolutely takes some time even under the most optimal conditions. When the population density of the primates in question gets low enough, this makes it harder for a population to take root and establish itself since the overall chances for mating are less than they would be if more primate interaction and inter-mingling was going on (Michigan, 2015).
The two main problems that are affecting primate populations are overharvesting and habitat destruction in general. Quite often, primates and other animals are hunted for their fur or pelts rather than for any sort of real utility or need. Further, the destruction of the habits leads to it being harder (if not impossible) for the primates to eat and feed at their normal rates. Throw in primates that have young children and those children face the same issues by extension. Habitat destruction is often done…
