The top 25 primates most at risk

17:14 19 February 2010

Conservationists have named the top 25 primates most at risk, as it becomes apparent that man's closest relative is rapidly on its way out.

Scientists claim that nearly half of all known primates are now in danger of extinction due to the destruction of tropical forests, illegal wildlife trade, unauthorized hunting and legal hunting for bush-meat.

Simon Stuart, head of species survival at global conservation group the International Union For The Conservation Of Nature, compiled the list.

Of the Siau island tarsier - a primate smaller than a human hand who recently joined a list of 25 of man's closest relatives facing extinction - he said: "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."

Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation International, said: “Our Top 25 list is to attract the attention of the public, to stimulate governments to do more, and to find the resources to implement conservation measures.”

Check out the list of soon-to-be-extinct primates, ranked by region, below:

MADAGASCAR

1. Greater bamboo lemur

2. Grey-headed lemur

3. Sclater's black lemur/ Blue-eyed black lemur

4. Northern sportive lemur

5. Silky sifaka

AFRICA

6. Rondo dwarf galago

7. Roloway guenon

8. Tana River red colobus monkey

9. Niger Delta red colobus

10. Kipunji monkey

11. Cross River gorilla

ASIA

12. Siau Island tarsier

13. Javan slow loris

14. Simakobu or pig-tailed snub-nose langur

15. Delacour's langur

16. Golden-headed langur or cat ba langur

17. Western purple-faced langur

18. Grey-shanked douc monkey

19. Tonkin snub-nosed monkey

20. Eastern black crested gibbon

21. Western hoolock gibbon

22. Sumatran orangutan

CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

23. Cotton-top tamarin

24. Variegated or brown spider monkey

25. Peruvian yellow-tailed woolly monkey