This will be the first year-round study to investigate the ecology of, and human impact on, the red uakari monkey (cacajao calvus ucayalii), a rare and almost unknown Neotropical primate. The Yavari valley in the north-eastern Peuvian Amazon area has a unique population of these monkeys, with a high density of uakari living alongside twelve other primate species.

Red uakaris appear to have been exterminated from much of their range, and are threatened by hunting, logging, habitat disturbance and the removal of important food resources. The effects of hunting on red uakari need to be analysed alongside the collection of ecological data for the species, as low densities and patchy distribution are probably associated with habitat preference as well as with hunting. The effects of seasonal migration, and importance of key plant species and habitat types will be considered when planning for conservation of the remaining populations.

We will work with local people to understand the number of uakaris hunted and the importance of this species for subsistence and meat market sales. Informal discussions will be held to determine the willingness of local people to set up community based conservation for the red uakari.