It was Hope who first dared to approach Juvenal. They had been on the opposing sides of a quarrel ever since Hope’s family wrapped their tails around the branches of that 10,000-acre urban forest in the heart of Rio de Janeiro. The arrival of her clan contested the eight-year rule of Juvenal’s group in Tijuca National Park. Brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba) are, by primate standards, peaceful denizens of the Atlantic Forest — gentle leaf-eaters that also enjoy the occasional fruit. But that doesn’t put them above skirmishing for territory. Around two weeks ago, Juvenal and another male had attempted to attack the leader of Hope’s group, Max. The howlers, true to their name, kept exchanging threatening howls since the incident. On that day, though, Hope seemed to reach out for peace. She touched Juvenal, and — to the delight of the researchers spectating the scene — he accepted the gesture. Just like that, the howler groups appeared to reach an understanding. The human part of the drama, however, is more extensive. Just a few years back, brown howlers were considered a vulnerable species by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio) — the Brazilian agency responsible for managing protected areas and biodiversity — but of least concern according to the IUCN Red List. Everything changed in December 2016, when brown howler numbers started to plummet; they became rare in many forests and disappeared altogether from others. The species is now among the 25 most threatened primates on the…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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