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POLICY AND PRACTICE REVIEWS article

Front. Conserv. Sci.
Sec. Animal Conservation
Volume 5 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fcosc.2024.1401749

Type of article: Policy and Practice Reviews Provisionally Accepted

 Luciana I. Oklander1, 2, 3*  Marcelo L. Rheingantz4, 5 Rafael S. Rossato6, 7 Silvana Peker8  Zelinda Maria Hirano2, 9 Cauê Monticelli10 Aline N. Dada9  Dante L. Di Nucci3, 11 Dilmar Oliveira10  Fabiano R. Melo2, 12  Monica M. Valença-Montenegro13  Martin Kowalewski2, 3, 14  Leandro Jerusalinsky2, 6, 7, 15
  • 1National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Argentina
  • 2Primate Specialist Group, Species Survival Commission, International Union for the Conservation of Nature, United States
  • 3Neotropical Primate Conservation Argentina, Argentina
  • 4Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
  • 5Refauna, Brazil
  • 6Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Primatas Brasileiros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio/CPB), Brazil
  • 7Programa Macacos Urbanos, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
  • 8Dirección de Biodiversidad, Subsecretaría de Ambiente y de la Nación Argentina, Argentina
  • 9Projeto Bugio, Centro de Pesquisas Biológicas de Indaial - CEPESBI, Universidade Regional de Blumenau - FURB, Brazil
  • 10Coordenadoria de Fauna Silvestre, Secretaria de Meio Ambiente, Infraestrutura e Logística do Estado de São Paulo, Brazil
  • 11Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara. Centro de Rescate, Rehabilitación y Recría de Fauna Silvestre Güirá Oga, Argentina
  • 12Departamento Engenharia Florestal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Brazil
  • 13Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Primatas Brasileiros, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio), Brazil
  • 14Corrientes Biological Station, National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Argentina
  • 15Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG), United States

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The brown howler monkey (Alouatta guariba) is endemic to the Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil and northeastern Argentina, threatened by extinction due to habitat loss and fragmentation, and hunting. Its reduced and isolated populations dramatically decreased and suffered local extinctions after recent yellow fever outbreaks, recommending the species risk uplist from Vulnerable to Endangered. In Brazil, the species occurs along eight states in sparse populations, including some large protected areas, and is being uplisted to Endangered. Following the National Action Plan for Conservation of the Atlantic Forest Primates and the Maned-sloth, and applying the Guidelines for Reintroductions and other Conservation Translocations (IUCN/CTSG), the Ex Situ Guidelines (IUCN/CPSG) and the One Plan Approach (IUCN/CPSG), a workshop was held on August 2021 to evaluate the need, requisites and roles of an integrated Population Management Program for A. guariba. Such program was developed in June 2022 defining the objectives of (i) restore in situ populations from ex situ populations, prioritizing populations in higher risk to prevent local extinctions, and (ii) establish an ex situ insurance population. This in situex situ integrated management program was approved by ICMBio in February 2023, with actions recommended for all states along the species distribution. In Argentina, the species is Critically Endangered, with a remaining population of 20-50 individuals. Following the National Plan for Primate Conservation in Argentina, in a process similar to that in Brazil, two workshops were held in 2022/2023 to evaluate and define management actions for the long-term recovery of A. guariba. The priorities indicated were (i) reintroduction in ten potential areas in Misionesdue to a lower risk when compared to reinforcement of remaining populations, and (ii) establishing an ex situ management program in Argentinastill non-existent. The progressive collaboration between the initiatives of both countries is promoting the exchange of experiences and the integration of strategies. Here we summarize the planning and management carried out in Brazil and Argentina, highlighting the need forof integrated measures. We debate on the progresses and challenges, proposing next steps for developing and implementing a binational population management program for the conservation of the brown howler monkey.

Keywords: Population management, Conservation translocations, action plans, Primates, health sentinel, Seed dispersion

Received: 15 Mar 2024; Accepted: 12 Apr 2024.

Copyright: © 2024 Oklander, Rheingantz, Rossato, Peker, Hirano, Monticelli, Dada, Di Nucci, Oliveira, Melo, Valença-Montenegro, Kowalewski and Jerusalinsky. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: PhD. Luciana I. Oklander, National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina