Great news this month! The Monkey Sanctuary Trust in the UK agreed to give a substantial grant to the national education campaign that we are running together with Yunkawasi. This means that we can keep this project going in the provinces where it is most needed and continue to focus the media’s attention on the endangered primates of Peru.

The Ronda is a national network of locally organized communities “police” forces in areas where the national police are practically absent. And now the good part! With our encouragement and advice, the Ronda of the whole of Amazonas region has decided to outlaw -under penalty- the hunting, capture and sale of all wild animals. Out side of native communities almost all hunting is trophy hunting or for the local pet trade, so this is great step for the conservation of all species. We were interviewed for local TV and radio with the president of the regional Ronda to announce this momentous decision.

We finished the preparation of the first study site (and were able to see and hear monkeys every day of the trip) and this month we are planning to prepare the second site so we can start scientific investigation.

On the down side the level of immigration of loggers and pastoralists into the area increased dramatically this month (probably as word has spread about the plan to build a road to the furthest communities) and has already had an affect on deforestation and local wildlife. We are going to concentrate on informing the people of the importance of sustainable and organized development and growth contrary to the current situation.