After decades of hunting and habitat loss, only 35-40 Northern brown howler monkeys still survive in Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest.

During the last five decades, 93% of this rainforest ecosystem has been destroyed by logging and related development. One of its last intact forests, the Serra Bonita Reserve in Bahia, Brazil, is home to five endangered primates, including the Northern brown howler.

For the Northern brown howler, which is at extreme risk of extinction, Serra Bonita provides reason for hope. The reserve is home to a pair of these rare primates and is the site of a new breeding program to help the species rebound.

But primates need space to survive. To ensure the Northern brown howler can recover and thrive, we are working with our partner Instituto Uiraçu to expand Serra Bonita by purchasing 271 rainforest acres. Strengthening this reserve may well represent the last chance to save the Northern brown howler.

Photo: Northern brown howler monkey © Kenny Ross