Howler monkeys,
Alouatta palliata mexicana,are dropping dead out of trees in Mexico. A brutal heat wave is the apparent cause. 83 howler monkeys were found dead in the state of Tobasco. Others were rescued by residents before succumbing to the heat. An examining veterinarian said they were suffering severe heatstroke. The heat wave has also killed at least 26 people since March. The die-off began around the 5th of May and peaked over the weekend of Cinco de Mayo, a commercial event in the US. By May 9th at least nine cities in Mexico set high temperature records including Tamaulipas that recorded a sizzling 117. Water shortages are also occurring due to the lack of rain.
Five of the rescued monkeys are responding to treatment and are bitting again, a good sign. Wildlife biologist Gilberto Pozo says the monkeys are a sentinel species that is telling us something is changing in the climate. He attributes their deaths to a number of factors including habitat destruction.
