Mexico's endangered howler monkeys are dying in alarming numbers as a brutal heat wave scorches southern states like Chiapas and Tabasco, where temperatures hit 45°C (113°F) this week. Authorities are racing to determine if extreme heat—or other factors like pesticides or disease—are to blame.
What’s Killing the Monkeys? 🧪
The Mexican Ministry of Environment lists heat stroke, dehydration, malnutrition, and pesticide exposure as possible causes. Lab tests will rule out viruses. Meanwhile, wildlife groups report 'mass deaths,' urging locals to lower water buckets for struggling primates. 'It’s likely climatic, but we’re investigating all angles,' said conservation group COBIUS.
Communities Rally to Help 🚰
Teams are patrolling forests to provide fruits and water to surviving monkeys. 'Every life matters,' said a Tabasco wildlife official. The crisis highlights climate change’s growing threat to biodiversity—howler monkeys, key to rainforest ecosystems, are now symbols of a planet under pressure.
