Premium
Population status of nonhuman primates in Asia, with emphasis on rhesus macaques in India
Author(s) -
Southwick Charles H.,
Siddiqi M. Farooq
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
american journal of primatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.988
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1098-2345
pISSN - 0275-2565
DOI - 10.1002/ajp.1350340110
Subject(s) - endangered species , wildlife , population , nonhuman primate , distribution (mathematics) , asian elephant , ecology , poaching , population growth , wildlife conservation , agriculture , biology , geography , socioeconomics , demography , evolutionary biology , habitat , mathematical analysis , mathematics , sociology , elephas
Over 50 species of nonhuman primates live in 20 nations in Asia, interacting ecologically with over 3 billion people. The population status of different species of primates ranges from rare and endangered to abundant and relatively secure. The distribution, numbers, and trends of most species are not known, even for those such as Macaca fascicularis which are extensively used in biomedical research. Field surveys of rhesus populations since 1959 showed a serious 90% decline in population numbers in northern India throughout the 1960s and 1970s, followed by a partial recovery throughout the 1980s. Factors probably responsible for this recovery include a ban on trapping for export, increased agricultural production and economic development, increased conservation efforts, and perhaps a renewal of respect and tolerance for wildlife by the people of India. The history of rhesus populations in India can provide guidelines for conservation and management programs for other species. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.