Proyecto Mono Tocón

August 2012

Content

Titi monkey conservation in

Huallaga Central and Bajo

Mayo

Birds and titi monkeys

The search for the mountain

uakaris continues

Corridors for titi monkeys

T he San Martin titi monkey clearly is the most endangered

primate species of Peru, and one of the most endangered

primates of South America. While there still may be a considerable

number of individuals, most of them live in small isolated

fragments with no chance for survival. It is doubtful if there still

exists a viable population living in an area where their protection is possible.

Fortunately, while the species was hardly known in 2007 when we started the

project, Proyecto Mono Tocón succeeded in bringing the species under the

attention of others, which resulted in new conservation initiatives for the

species. What we need now is the support of some large conservation

organisations, that usually focus on more emblematic species like gorillas and

giant otters, to establish a region–wide conservation strategy for the San

Martin titi monkey. Let’s hope that they soon will join us to prevent the

extinction of this attractive monkey!

Jan Vermeer

Project director

Local Initiatives for Biodiversity Conservation

Titi monkey conservation in Huallaga Central and Bajo Mayo

T he applications for the conservation concessions

Shitariyacu and Tres Quebradas (5.800 hectares)

have been presented to the authorities and are still

under review. Work has started on the capacity build-

ing of the members of the local associations and the

guards. The guards who will do regular patrols will re-

ceive training to use GPS and collect biodiversity data.

At the same time an education program has started for

the villagers.

Dear readers, in this second newsletter of the year I would like to invite you to get to know closely the projects implemented to protect one of the species endemic of our re-gion, the titi monkey (Callicebus oenanthe). Furthermore I would like to encourage you to work with us in order to avoid its extinction.

Victoria Pérez Tello

President

Rapid assessment of the

conservation values in

Lamas

Titbits of titi news

Pucunucho Conservation

Committe

Huallaga River

Ongoing projects

Volunteers requested

E cotourism can be an important source of income for San

Martin, provided that there stays enough nature to offer

the tourist. One of San Martin’s strengths is the high diversity of

birds. Peru has promoted the last few years the “northern bird-

ing route”, with several important birding areas in San Martin.

As income from ecotourism can motivate local associations and

authorities to protect their forest, birding can also become im-

portant for titi monkey conservation. For that reason, Proyecto

Mono Tocón has already given support to the Tingana Reserve,

where we trained the guides and installed an education centre.

We are preparing a similar project for the association that

administrated the Ojos de Agua Conservation Concession, a dry

forest habitat with many rare species of birds and titi monkeys.

Workshops in Moyobamba and Tarapoto

Recently we were asked to organise with the NGO CORBIDI two workshops in Moyobamba and Tarapoto, titled

“The importance of birds for tourism”. During the workshops the new version of “Birds of Peru” was presented.

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Birds and titi monkeys

Ojos de Agua Conservation Concession

Most of the work that we do in both villages has also been commenced for the

Ojos de Agua Conservation Concession (2.400 hectares), somewhat further to

the north. Here we investigate together with the local association the possibility

to expand the area with another 1.000 hectares. Main sponsor of this project

Training for Tingana guides

Workshop in Moyobamba Workshop in Tarapoto

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I n 2009 and 2010, Proyecto Mono Tocón conducted ex-

peditions in search of a new population of bald uakaris

(Cacajao calvus ssp.). A new and probably isolated popula-

tion was discovered in the mountains of northern San

Martin. We are pleased that the French association CEPA

(Conservation des Espèces et des Populations Animales),

La Boissière du Doré Zoo and the German Zoological

Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations

(ZGAP) offered to finance the continuation of the study.

During the wet season, when the water levels in the rivers

are high, we will survey two large areas east and north of

the discovered population. This is an area unknown for

science, and we intend to collect also data on other pri-

mate species living in the area.

We will keep you informed!

The search for the mountain uakaris continues

Cacajao calvus ssp.

Main sponsors of the project

During the workshops several presentations on birds and birding tour-

ism were followed by interesting discussions. The day following the

workshops the participants visited together some of the interesting

birding areas near Moyobamba and Tarapoto. We were pleased that

the authorities showed much interest in the events, and hope that their

interest will be reflected in their conservation efforts.

New Spanish version of “Birds of Peru”

Corridors for titi monkeys

T he surveys of the Proyecto Mono Tocón showed that the San

Martin titi monkey is critically endangered, mainly due to high

deforestation rates. Their current habitat consists of a series of

forest fragments surrounded by human agriculture and develop-

ment. Little is known about the capacity of the titi monkeys to

traverse among remnant forested patches. Because land conver-

sion is continuing at a high rate, it is imperative that important

patches linking forest remnants will be identified and subse-

quently protected.

Callicebus oenanthe

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Rapid assessment of the conservation values in Lamas

O n request of IUCN-NL/HIVOS, a Dutch organisation

that is planning a sustainable economical develop-

ment project with the local coffee cooperation, the

team of Proyecto Mono Tocón conducted a short survey

in three native Quechwa communities in the Lamas

province, near Tarapoto.

The goal was to investigate if a economical

development could and should be accompanied by

nature conservation measures. The survey was for

us the opportunity to find out if Callicebus oenanthe

was living in that area, that had not yet been sur-

veyed by our team.

As well, there is an opportunity to identify areas between patches

that could be restored through reforestation and serve as corridors.

Proyecto Mono Tocón has designed together with Jennifer Swenson,

Duke University, an extensive study map the remaining habitat

patches in the northern extent of the titi monkeys’ range where

human impact has been highest through the use of satellite imagery

and field validation. Actual and potential connections between pri-

mary habitat patches will be analysed with geospatial tools while

field studies will be conducted to identify which forest remnants are

being used by the animals, and characterize to what extent they are

able to use existing corridors. This is a very interesting study, and

very important as we will need the (connected) forest remnants to

preserve the San Martin titi monkey. We are please that the Cleve-

land Zoological Society and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo have agreed

to partly finance this project. Proyecto Mono Tocón hopes to receive

additional grants from other organisations.

The project coincides with a study of the regional government and

several organisations on the importance of biological corridor for

nature conservation in San Martin.

ArcGIS’s “Corridor” tool assesses the traversability across a human matrix between two habitat patches

(purple)

Main sponsors of the project

Forest in the native Quechwa community Chunchihui

Coordinations in the native Quechwa community Chirykyacu

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Pucunucho Conservation Committee

I n the last newsletter of April we already informed you about the education project in Pucunucho.

This project is a cooperation with the NGO AMPA (Amazónicos por la Amazonía) and financed by IUCN-NL. The project was executed in the first months of this year, and finished in June.

Pucunucho is an ideal place for environmental educa-tion, both for the inhabitants of the nearby city of Juanjui and for tourists.

A number of workshops and activities were organised with the community members living around this small but nice private reserve.

The Pucunucho Conservation Committee has been established to ensure the protection of the area and to promote sustainable development of natural resources.

During capacity building sessions the importance of biodiversity was explained. A reforestation project was initiated to increase the forest cover of the area and to create a corridor between the reserve and another forested area.

In parallel, we developed an environmental awareness program for children, mostly of members of the Pucunucho Conservation Committee. They worked on the themes of flora, fauna, biodiversity and the problem of the invasive species.

Several theoretical and practical workshops were organised, supported by the educational materials designed by Proyecto Mono Tocón. Also, some videos were shown to sensitize children about the conservation of natural resources.

Reforestation project

The study revealed that San Martin titi monkeys are not known in that

area. There is an urgent need for environmental education; hunting

activities are unsustainable and most larger primate species seems to

have gone extinct in the territories. Parts of all kinds of wild animals are

for sale in the souvenir shops, giving a wrong message to the tourists.

The communities seem to be willing to conserve parts of their forest (up

to 11.000 hectares). Environmental education could also have a positive

effect on the protection of the neighbouring Regional Conservation Area

“Cordillera Escalera”.

We hope that IUCN-HIVOS will take over our sugges-

tions and will include a nature conservation compo-

nent in their projects. A project can only be really

sustainable if there is also attention for the nature

around the plantations and villages. Main sponsor Specimen of pygmy anteater

(Cyclopes didactylus)

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At the end of the project, we evaluated the knowledge acquired. This showed that, through the implementation of this environmental education program, both adults and children had increased their level of knowledge about environmental issues.

The nature guides of the Conservation Committee have already started their first tours with teachers of educa-tional institutions Juanjui. The guides have worked together with the education team of Proyecto Mono Tocón to develop the information panels and install these on the reserve, but also to set up the environmental interpreta-tion centre.

Working in Pucunucho with a motivated group of locals that is devoted to conserve their environment was a great experience and also instructive for our team. We are looking forward to further collaboration with our friends of AMPA.

Education program for children

Entity responsible for this project

Interpretation Centre in Pucunucho

Pucunucho Conservation Committee

Main sponsor of the project

Education program for adults

Ongoing projects

Evaluation of the conservation status of primates in the Bosque de Protección Alto Mayo. With the support of Conservation International Peru. Study on the distribution of the San Martin titi monkey (Callicebus oenanthe) on the north of Huayabamba river. With the support of Thoiry Peaugres Conservation. Initiatives for the conservation of the San Martin titi monkey (Callicebus oenanthe) in Eastern San Martin. With the support of Zoo d’Amnéville, Neotropical Primate Conservation and Le Conservatoire pour la Protection des Primates. Nature club JOESUCNA, a partner for conservation in Calzada. With the support of Le Conservatoire pour la Protection des Pri-mates. Environmental Education Program on the Awajun schools of the Alto Mayo. With the support of Le Conservatoire pour la Protec-tion des Primates. Environmental Education Program on the schools of Calzada and Yantalo . With the support of Le Conservatoire pour la Protection des Primates.

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Volunteers requested We are looking for an English speaking

person to help us with translations for the website, newsletters, publications, etc. If you can help us, or know somebody who can, please contact:

Jan Vermeer jan.vermeer@telfort.nl

We are looking for a person with good drawing skills for the production of a new educational comic book (black and white). If you can help us, or know somebody who can, please contact:

Jan Vermeer jan.vermeer@telfort.nl

If you want to participate in the activities of the Proyecto Mono Tocón you can contact:

Antonio Bóveda Penalba conservacion@monotocon.org

If you are interested in participating as a sponsor of Proyecto Mono Tocón contact:

Victoria Pérez Tello asociacion@monotocon.org

Jan Vermeer jan.vermeer@telfort.nl

Titbits of Titi news

Julio C. Tello Alvarado (head of research) has received a grant from the Inter-

national Primate Society to attend the IPS Pre-congress Training Program and

the subsequent congress. He will also present two posters: one on the distri-

bution and phenotypical variation of Callicebus oenanthe and a second on the

discovery of Cacajao in the mountains of San Martin.

To promote Proyecto Mono Tocón, new posters and stickers have been

developed and will be distributed throughout San Martin.

Many activities were organised for and with the youth of the nature clubs of

Calzada and Moyobamba. To celebrate “World Environmental Day” and “Earth

Hour” we participated to processions through the streets of Moyobamba. In

the botanical garden of Moyobamba new name cards for the different plant

species were painted and installed. Members of the nature clubs

Stickers of San Martin titi monkey

Join our group at Facebook

www.facebook.com/monotocon

You can find us at... Proyecto Mono Tocón

Jr. Reyes Guerra, 430

Moyobamba

Perú

Soon you can visit us at...www.monotocon.org

For more information, please contact:

Jan Vermeer

jan.vermeer@telfort.nl

T: (+51) 42 564462

The work of Proyecto Mono Tocón is only possible thanks to the generous financial support of:

We thank our partners for their collaboration: