Let's talk howlers.

Howlers are very curious.

Since Para La Tierra moved fully to Pilar in May this year one of the interesting new opportunities this opened up for us the chance to study the Black-&-Gold (or Paraguayan) Howler monkey (Alouatta caraya). The city of Pilar and the properties surrounding the city are absolutely full of these large, noisy primates.

But running away from people is just far too much effort for them.

Howler monkeys are the largest primate species in Paraguay with adult males weighing 5.3-9.6kg! They are not only sexually dimorphic in size but also colour: the adult males are all black while the adult females are yellow. Much easier to tell apart than the capuchin monkeys! As the name suggest, they are very, very loud. The most striking difference for me after nearly five years studying capuchins is their complete lack of fear of people. I have studied wild howler monkeys before, the mantled howler (Alouatta palliata) in Panama back in 2012 but after so long chasing after the capuchins as they vanish off into the dense Atlantic Forest, I admit I had forgotten what it is like to find a new monkey group, and not have them run away!

A very old female in Santa Ana

The sheer number of howlers both inside and outside the city, how easy they are to find, and the fact that they can be watched all day all leads to a very exciting conclusion: the possibilities for research are endless!! Currently working at PLT are Marco Alesci (Itlay) and Sara Bethel (USA). Marco is carrying out his data collection for his Masters evaluating the attitudes of the people of Pilar towards the urban monkeys and the dangers that these monkeys face living in such an unnatural environment. Sara is just about to finish a full site census of Santa Ana, a ranch just outside Pilar, where she has identified more than 12 separate groups of howlers.

Marco Alesci studies human/howler conflict and interactions in Pilar.

Sara Bethel carried out a full census of howlers in the Humid Chaco at Santa Ana Ranch.

Until now almost no work has been done on this species in Paraguay, and nothing has been published about the behaviour or ecology of the urban howler population in Pilar.  Some potential project ideas include determining the home range and daily path lengths of the urban groups, looking at behavioural differences between urban and forest groups, dietary diversity of the urban groups or establishing dominance hierarchies.  

Adult male roaring.

These are just some of the possibilities. Undertaking an internship with PLT means that you have the chance to plan your own project according to your own research interests. There are so many howler monkeys in Pilar that we need help ASAP to be able to collect data on them all! If primatology appeals to you and you want to get up close and personal with these fascinating creatures (in a country most people never get to visit) why are you hesitating! Contact Karina Atkinson (paralatierra.py@gmail.com) to apply for a position with our primate research team.

The howler monkeys and adventure awaits!