The Woolly Monkey Mysteries: The Quest to Save a Rain Forest Species

In the cloud forests of the Amazon Basin, scientists are installing extraordinary numbers of camera traps in the hopes of learning more about an elusive species--woolly monkeys.

High above in the rain forest canopy, woolly monkeys sit on tree branches eating fruit. Hidden by leaves and surrounded by mist, it's difficult to see them even with high-powered binoculars. Because they live in such remote and hard-to-observe areas of the rain forest, information about the lives of woolly monkeys has remained a mystery.

No one knows for sure how many woolly monkeys are left in the wild. But the rain forest's health and future is dependent on them. Known as the rain forest's gardeners, their activities and behaviors are essential to the survival of the trees and animals that live there. Scientists need to learn more to save this vulnerable species and protect their habitats from deforestation and other threats.

See how scientists in Peru's Man? Biosphere Reserve are using different methods of observation and new technology to study this keystone species before it's too late.

Scan QR codes inside the book to see and hear the monkeys!