HE might be a funky-looking monkey, but being cute is no protection for this little fella.
Only discovered in 2007, the Siau island tarsier this week joined a list of 25 of man's closest relatives facing EXTINCTION.
Scientists say nearly half of all primates are now in danger of vanishing due to the destruction of tropical forests, the illegal wildlife trade and the commercial hunting of bushmeat - the flesh of wild animals.
The tarsier is no bigger than a human hand but has a few disadvantages in his fight to survive. He happens to live on Siau, a tiny Indonesian island with one of the world's most active volcanoes.
But worst of all... locals love him barbecued.
Simon Stuart, head of species survival at global conservation group the International Union For The Conservation Of Nature, which compiled the list, says: "He was only discovered three years ago.
"Now it already looks like he may be wiped out.
"The world doesn't even have one in captivity, so there will be nothing left once he is gone.
"It hasn't helped that the locals are used to eating up to ten of them in a single sitting."
Another endangered creature on the list of threatened primates is the blue-eyed black lemur.
It is also disappearing fast, partly because it is a bit tasty, but also because its Madagascan habitat is being burned off for rice production by farmers.
It is known as the "Hollywood star" of the primate world - "stunningly beautiful but a bit stupid."
Across the globe politics and man's rapid encroachment into the last remaining areas of wildlife continue to push other vulnerable animals to the brink.
In Vietnam up to five species of monkey are on the verge of extinction on the northern border with China, where they are caught by poachers and their hearts sold to make traditional medicines.
In the "lawless" areas of Rwanda the mountain gorilla faces threats, while there are just 280 of its neighbour the Cross River gorilla, which also features on the Top 25 list.
Gorillas share many traits with man - including having DNA that is 99 per cent similar to our own.
Meanwhile, another family favourite, the orangutan, is at risk. On Sumatra, Indonesia, one of only two of the world's species of the creature is vanishing as rainforest is axed to grow oil palm for biodiesel.
Mr Stuart says: "One thing people in the UK can do is to put pressure on the Government not to accept biodiesel made from oil palms.
"The second would be for us to increase our support to other nations to save their native species, because at the moment we contribute less than most other nations in Europe."
In total there are five species from Madagascar, six from Africa, 11 from Asia and three from Central and South America on the list, which was compiled by 85 expert scientists.
But one of them, Christoph Schwitzer, thinks the news is not all bad.
He says: "I think we are making a difference on the ground but we need to do more reforestation and work with local people, giving them incentives to try and help us preserve the wildlife.
view the pics at this link The 25 species of monkey facing extinction | The Sun |Home Scotland|Scottish News|Green
:Jester:
Only discovered in 2007, the Siau island tarsier this week joined a list of 25 of man's closest relatives facing EXTINCTION.
Scientists say nearly half of all primates are now in danger of vanishing due to the destruction of tropical forests, the illegal wildlife trade and the commercial hunting of bushmeat - the flesh of wild animals.
The tarsier is no bigger than a human hand but has a few disadvantages in his fight to survive. He happens to live on Siau, a tiny Indonesian island with one of the world's most active volcanoes.
But worst of all... locals love him barbecued.
Simon Stuart, head of species survival at global conservation group the International Union For The Conservation Of Nature, which compiled the list, says: "He was only discovered three years ago.
"Now it already looks like he may be wiped out.
"The world doesn't even have one in captivity, so there will be nothing left once he is gone.
"It hasn't helped that the locals are used to eating up to ten of them in a single sitting."
Another endangered creature on the list of threatened primates is the blue-eyed black lemur.
It is also disappearing fast, partly because it is a bit tasty, but also because its Madagascan habitat is being burned off for rice production by farmers.
It is known as the "Hollywood star" of the primate world - "stunningly beautiful but a bit stupid."
Across the globe politics and man's rapid encroachment into the last remaining areas of wildlife continue to push other vulnerable animals to the brink.
In Vietnam up to five species of monkey are on the verge of extinction on the northern border with China, where they are caught by poachers and their hearts sold to make traditional medicines.
In the "lawless" areas of Rwanda the mountain gorilla faces threats, while there are just 280 of its neighbour the Cross River gorilla, which also features on the Top 25 list.
Gorillas share many traits with man - including having DNA that is 99 per cent similar to our own.
Meanwhile, another family favourite, the orangutan, is at risk. On Sumatra, Indonesia, one of only two of the world's species of the creature is vanishing as rainforest is axed to grow oil palm for biodiesel.
Mr Stuart says: "One thing people in the UK can do is to put pressure on the Government not to accept biodiesel made from oil palms.
"The second would be for us to increase our support to other nations to save their native species, because at the moment we contribute less than most other nations in Europe."
In total there are five species from Madagascar, six from Africa, 11 from Asia and three from Central and South America on the list, which was compiled by 85 expert scientists.
But one of them, Christoph Schwitzer, thinks the news is not all bad.
He says: "I think we are making a difference on the ground but we need to do more reforestation and work with local people, giving them incentives to try and help us preserve the wildlife.
view the pics at this link The 25 species of monkey facing extinction | The Sun |Home Scotland|Scottish News|Green
:Jester:
