Wooly Monkey

 

Photographer: Christian Moreno
Location: Tiputini Biodiversity Station


"I took this picture because it was so astounding to come upon this animal and because it was so unlikely that this moment would happen again. I find this picture moving because you're held by the silent gaze of this primate who then vanished with amazing agility into the forest. In Yasuní, every being has its place, but humans are destroying these spaces. Unless we do something about it, these silent gazes and the whole natural balance will disappear along with the forest."


The Yasuní Biosphere Reserve contains 204 species of mammals, representing more than half of all the mammals in Ecuador. Among these, bats are the most diverse in species, followed by rodents (agoutis and mice) and carnívorsos (cats, otters and Cusumbo). At least 571 bird species have been documented, and the Tiputini Biodiversity Station, where this photograph was taken, holds world records for local amphibian, reptile, and bat species richness.


The Yasuní is also an important refuge for 28 threatened or near threatened vertebrate species, including two globally endangered mammals: giant otters and white-bellied spider monkeys - relatives of the wooly monkey pictured above.

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