CONSERVATION STATUS
CITES: Appendix I (http://www.cites.org)
IUCN Red List: C. calvus: NT; C. c. calvus: VU B1ab(iii); C1; C. c.
novaesi: VU B1ab(iii); C1; C. c. rubicundus: VU B1ab(iii);
C1; C. c. ucayalii: VU A2cd; C. melanocephalus,
C. m. melanocephalus, C. m. ouakary: LC (http://www.redlist.org).
Cacajao calvus calvusPhoto: Luiz Claudio Marigo
CITES lists all species of the genus Cacajao in Appendix I,
which lists the species that are the most endangered among CITES-listed
species. This means that each species is threatened with extinction and
international trade is prohibited except in certain special
circumstances (http://www.cites.org).
As a whole, the IUCN Red List classifies C. calvus as Near
Threatened (NT) which means that it has been evaluated but does not
qualify for critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable but is close
to qualifying for or is likely to qualify for a threatened category in
the near future. Individually however, the subspecies of C.
calvus are all classified at higher levels of threat. C. c.
calvus, C. c. novaesi, and C. c. rubicundus are
all listed as Vulnerable (VU B1ab(iii); C1) which means that they are
all considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild due to
their extent of occurrence being estimated to be less than 20,000 km2
(7722.0 mi2). Estimates indicate that their habitat is severely
fragmented or they are known to exist at no more than 10 locations.
Further, a continuing decline is observed, inferred or projected in the
area, extent and/or quality of habitat. In addition, population size of
this subspecies is estimated to number fewer than 10,000 mature
individuals and there is an estimated continuing decline of at least 10%
in population numbers within 10 years or three generations, whichever is
longer. C. c. ucayalii is listed as Vulnerable (VU A2cd) which
means that the subspecies is considered to be facing a high risk of
extinction in the wild due to a reduction in population size based on an
observed, estimated, inferred or suspected population size reduction of
greater than or equal to 30% over the last ten years or three
generations, whichever is the longer, where the reduction or its causes
may not have ceased, may not be understood, or may not be reversible,
based on a decline in the area of occupancy, extent of occurrence,
and/or quality of habitat and actual or potential levels of
exploitation. C. melanocephalus and its subspecies are listed as Least Concern
(LC) which means that it has been evaluated against the criteria and
does not qualify for critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable or
near threatened. Species in this category are usually widespread and
abundant (http://www.redlist.org).
However, this may be in error and the result of observations of seasonal
aggregations of animals feeding in flooded forests - the status of C.
melanocephalus should be reviewed (Adrian Barnett pers. comm.).
CONSERVATION THREATS
Threat: Human-Induced Habitat Loss and Degradation
Logging has detrimental effects on uakaris and their habitat, even if
the desired tree is not favored by uakaris. This is due to collateral
felling of uakari food trees to help float commercial logs to points of
sale, a reduction in selectivity of loggers resulting in food species
being felled, and the alteration of the ecology of plant life in
habitats precipitated by dams created by logged trees (Ayres 1986;
1990). Logging is in fact helped by the seasonal inundation of some
uakari habitats as the water provides an easy way to extract logs by
floating (Ayres 1990). Habitat degradation for agriculture also
threatens uakari habitat as does the clearing of forests for pastureland
(Heymann 1990). Further, the clearing of land for the establishment of
ranches also has the potential to deplete uakari habitat (Barnett & da
Cunha 1991). Illegal gold mining has also caused disturbances in uakari
habitat, even in protected areas (da Cunha & Barnett 1989; Boubli 1994).
One of the ways it does so is by damaging small watercourses by washing
topsoil into them as well as by clearing of vegetation by burning it
(Boubli 1997b).
Threat: Harvesting (hunting/gathering)
Across the genus Cacajao, the degrees of and the purposes for
hunting uakaris are variable. For example, in Brazil, white uakaris
(C. c. calvus) are not typically hunted for food, partially due
to their anthropomorphic, or human-like, appearance. However in Peru, C. calvus is
hunted intensively, for food as well as for skulls for the tourist
souvenir trade (Mittermeier & Coimbra-Filho 1977; Ayres 1986; Bartecki &
Heyman 1987; Aquino 1988). In Venezuela, hunting pressure is likely the
most profound threat to C. melanocephalus, especially by
illegal gold miners for which bushmeat is an important food source
(Barnett & da Cunha 1991; Lehman & Robertson 1994). In addition, miners
sometimes hire indigenous hunters to procure bushmeat (Boubli 1997b).
Sometimes, the large numbers of uakari individuals occurring in one
place make them easy to hunt from a canoe (Defler 2001). Commercial
hunting also threatens uakaris and occurs for the procurement of animal
protein in the diets of some communities (Heymann 1990; Barnett & da
Cunha 1991). Uakaris are also hunted for use as bait, particularly for
fish, turtle, or cats, and even in areas where they are not hunted for
food (Mittermeier & Coimbra-Filho 1977; Barnett & da Cunha 1991). While
in some areas, hunting has formerly focused on the largest primates for
food, depletion of those populations can cause an increase in hunting of
somewhat smaller primates including uakaris who had been previously
unaffected (Ward & Chism 2003).
Uakaris are also collected as pets, often as infants when their mothers
are killed and sometimes specifically for this purpose (Aquino 1988;
Ward & Chism 2003).
Threat: Pollution
Mercury, a byproduct of illegal mining sometimes makes its way into
watercourses within uakari habitats and has the potential to adversely
affect the health of the species (Lehman & Robertson 1994).
Threat: Intrinsic Factors
Bald uakaris have one of the highest rates of malarial infection in Amazonian
primates. This infection rate might be attributable to their large
group size and has the potential to have detrimental effects on their
health (Davies et al. 1991).
LINKS TO MORE ABOUT CONSERVATION
CONSERVATION INFORMATION
CONSERVATION NEWS
ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN Cacajao CONSERVATION
Content last modified: April 28, 2008
Written by Kurt Gron. Reviewed by Adrian Barnett.
Cite this page as:
Gron KJ. 2008 April 28. Primate Factsheets: Uakari (Cacajao) Conservation. <http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/uakari/cons>. Accessed 2008 May 13.
