0:05
We're far from home.
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We are all the way in the iconic Yucatan Peninsula in eastern Mexico.
0:11
We're here for a special reason and I'm so excited that we are on a monkey journey today.
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A monkey journey to a very rare and endangered monkey.
0:21
The spider monkey people seem to be the problem when it comes to spider monkey conservation, right?
0:26
Cutting down the forest, engaging in the illegal pet trade.
0:29
But luckily, we're going to have the chance to meet some people who are part of the solution, right?
0:33
Scientists who are studying them, local people living here who are protecting them.
0:38
We're going to learn about all the good things.
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7 species of endangered spider monkeys and habit jungles throughout Mexico and Central America.
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They require large, intact old growth forests for movement, foraging, and social interactions.
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Tragically, the towering trees they've called home for generations are vanishing.
0:59
But in a special protected area here in the center of the Yucatan Peninsula, they're thriving.
1:05
We met up with ethologist Filippo Arelli and Mayan Local and Lohio Apon, the world's foremost experts on the species that live here.
1:14
This is one of the best places here in the Yucatan Peninsula to see them and it's a place that we've been study for a very long time.
1:21
But the best part of this one that's been conserved for a very long time thanks to the local community.
1:27
Longio has been spending more hours following spider monkeys than anybody else.
1:30
Well, thank you for showing us around.
1:32
That's a big honor.
1:33
Well, I think we're ready to do what you do all the time, immerse ourselves in this beautiful forest and maybe see some spider monkeys.
1:39
Is it right?
1:40
Time of the day is the monkeys are coming closer in the area, so I think we have a good chance to go and see them.
1:46
Perfect.
1:47
Let's go.
1:49
In Mayan.
1:50
The locals call this reserve Ottok Maya Yatelku, which translates to home of the spider monkey and the Puma.
1:59
The reserve is named for monkeys and Pumas.
2:02
So are there also Pumas here?
2:05
What do you think?
2:06
There are Pumas here in the other side of the lagoon.
2:10
Puma, Jaguar, Puma and Jaguar.
2:14
About 150 Mayan people live here in Lojo's grandfather was the first person to recognize this forest importance, and he kept this land informally protected.
2:25
In 2002, the local community, in collaboration with nonprofits and researchers, launched a successful initiative to gain official protection by the Mexican government.
2:36
Suddenly so much cooler.
2:38
You know, I can hear something crashing through.
2:45
Oh, we found him.
2:46
We found Robert.
2:48
Look at this.
2:50
Yeah.
2:50
Baby.
2:51
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
2:52
The first monkey we've seen has a baby.
2:55
This is just a great indication of how well they're doing.
3:02
How are the monkeys over there?
3:04
And they're even howler monkeys, really.
3:06
We have howler monkeys on the left, spider monkeys on the right.
3:12
Suddenly we're surrounded.
3:14
Will they ever come over and share the same tree, or are they territorial?
3:18
The spider monkeys displace the howler monkeys.
3:20
So if they want to be in a place, the spider monkeys go where they want to, and the howlers need to move away.
3:27
How many spider monkeys might live in this forest?
3:31
We don't know.
3:32
Oh, you don't know.
3:32
It's not easy to come there.
3:34
But we know that in this area there are about 4050 individuals.
3:38
Spider monkeys are highly progivorous, meaning that they eat mostly fruits.
3:44
They live in large groups, but they split in subgroups.
3:47
But every now and then they meet again and they reshuffle the composition so they're not fixed groups.
3:52
And sometimes they greet one another with an embrace.
3:55
Oh, really?
3:56
Really.
3:57
Must be so interesting.
3:58
We're so fascinated by these animals, and it's possible they're really fascinated with us, too.
4:02
I hope so.
4:03
This is something we're sort of intraspecies communication.
4:06
I think you're right.
4:08
Although there are no monkeys or primates native to the United States, Mexico has three species, spider monkeys and two types of howlers, named for obvious reasons.
4:20
Right here is crashing through these trees, a really robust mom, and she's carrying her little baby.
4:28
It's precious, and it's also really meaningful.
4:30
When we talk about the conservation of the species, they’re doing well here.
4:34
We need more places like this to exist and to maintain and to survive so that this species can keep doing exactly this.
4:42
Elohio and the local Mayan people not only protect this forest but also offer paid tours, a lifeline for both the village and the spider monkeys.
4:53
This preserve is a proud model for what ecotourism and conservation can accomplish together.
