The intense heatwave in Mexico is killing off howler monkeys and devastating the ecology as a whole.
Comalcalco, a city in southern Mexico, is surrounded by verdant forests, and the harsh, raspy roars of howler monkeys echo through them. The noise, which sounds like faraway thunder or an extensive engine rumbling, often peaks around sunrise and sunset, telling locals that it’s getting close to the end of the day.
The Gulf Coast state of Tabasco has recorded the deaths of at least eighty-three howler monkeys. Nevertheless, several animals were saved by concerned citizens, with five of them being taken to a nearby vet for emergency treatment.
The dead monkeys first began to be seen on Friday in Tecolutilla, Tabasco state, when a volunteer fire department arrived at the scene of the crime with five of the animals in his truck bed.
As of May 9, at least nine Mexican towns have recorded record-high temperatures. Ciudad Victoria, in the border state of Tamaulipas, reached 117 degrees Fahrenheit. At least 26 individuals have died since March, with the heatwave to blame.
The howler monkey, the “loudest of all the monkeys,” is renowned for its ear-piercing whooping bark or roar.
Locals have been warned against intervention, but many of them still wanted to assist.
Specialist vets have coordinated efforts to provide the monkeys with the treatment they need, and they have established dedicated recuperation facilities for the animals.
High temperatures, dryness, and forest fires were among the causes of the monkeys’ deaths. The weather has prevented the monkeys from getting the proper amount of water they require.
Water resources are dwindling as lakes and dams dry up due to below-average precipitation throughout the nation so far this year. Hospitals and fire departments alike have had to rely on water trucks brought in by the authorities. Some areas of the country have experienced power outages due to low levels at hydroelectric dams.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador finally spoke out about the problem a few days after the monkeys started dying; he claimed to have learned about it on social media.
