Myanmar Snub-Nosed Monkey Photos Reveal Recently Discovered Primate
Researchers have released the first-ever photos of the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey.
Fauna & Flora International (FFI), Biodiversity And Nature Conservation Association (BANCA) and People Resources and Conservation Foundation (PRCF) used camera traps in the mountains of Kachin state near China to take photos of the recently discovered monkey.
According to FFI's Frank Momberg, the monkey "was described scientifically in 2010 from a dead specimen collected from a local hunter," but until now, scientists had not seen a living example.
An FFI press release states that harsh weather conditions posed a challenge for the team setting up the cameras. Jeremy Holden led that team, and said, "We were dealing with very tough conditions in a remote and rugged area that contained perhaps fewer than 200 monkeys." The group lucked out though in May when a group of monkeys, including females with babies, walked by a camera.
According to the IUCN, the Mae Hka snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri) has an upturned nose, causing it to sneeze in the rain -- an easy giveaway for hunters on rainy days. BBC News reports that "in the local dialect the monkey is referred to as mey nwoah, meaning monkey with an upturned face."
Unfortunately, the animal is seriously threatened by logging roads and hunting, and is classified as Critically Endangered on IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species.
Check out photos of the Myanmar snub-nosed monkey and other species caught on film below:
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First Posted: 01/10/12 01:52 PM ET Updated: 01/10/12 01:54 PM ET