Brazil Builds One of a Kind Bridge for Endangered Monkeys to Help Them Cross Freeway

Brazil has stepped up to save its little fellow as it built a bridge to help a group of endangered monkeys safely cross a busy highway.

According to the Independent, conservationists in Rio de Janeiro came up with the idea to help the endangered monkeys called golden lion tamarins circulate over a wider forested area.

9Gag reported that the bridge, built last year, was now planted with trees, shrubs, and plants to make it look like a natural "corridor" that will attract the monkeys. However, the outlet noted that the vegetation would take time to grow to a size that the primates can use.

Brazil Experts Concerned Over Endangered Monkey's Habitat

The bridge in Brazil was constructed as experts were concerned about the habitat of the golden lion tamarins. Experts estimated that about 95 percent of the golden lion tamarins' habitat had been lost, The Daily Mail reported.

The said endangered monkey was known to only live in the Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro. However, experts were concerned that the monkeys had become confined to a small area because of the dual carriageway built in the state.

"Scientists have shown that the population living there [Atlantic Forest] would be completely isolated from the other side of the road," Golden Lion Tamarin Association Executive Secretary Luís Paulo Marquez Ferraz said.

Marquez Ferraz further noted that the implications of the Golden Lion Tamarin being secluded on one side of the road are "genetically" bad for the species. That is why a large forest protected and connected is important.

According to Marquez Ferraz, a population of about 2,000 golden lion tamarins should have at least 25,000 hectares of forest. However, the forest where they live was fractured and cut up due to pastures, roads, and towns.

Aside from the growth of civilization, National Geographic also reported that logging, agriculture, and industry are also factors why the golden lion tamarins are slowly losing their habitat.

Golden Lion Tamarin's Population in Brazil

The bridge's construction intended for the endangered monkeys' use came as the conservationists spent the last few decades rescuing the golden lion tamarins from the brink of extinction.

An outbreak of yellow fever in 2018 wiped out at least 32 percent of its population in the wild. According to a study, from 3,700 golden lion tamarins, only 2,500 of them remained in the wild and survived the plague.

Golden lion tamarins took their name from their impressive manes with thick rings of hair reminiscent of Africa's great cats. The said monkeys form social family groups, as males help raise their offspring and carry them on their backs.

The endangered monkeys are known to live primarily in trees. They normally forage for food, traveling from branch to branch during the day, and sleep in hollows at night.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

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