A brutal heat wave that shakes Mexico has made several Howler monkeys fell dead from trees. The event occurred in the Tabasco town of Tecolutillain the state of Tabascowhere residents tried to help the animals and rescued those who were still alive.
In this way, five of the monkeys were transferred to a local veterinarian who fought to save them. According to the professional, the animals arrived at the place in “critical, with dehydration and fever“and they were found”flabby like rags“.
Mexico: the reason for the death of the monkeys
When local residents began to notice what was happening to the animals, a volunteer fire brigade showed up and moved the five monkeys into the bed of the truck. The vet Sergio Valenzuela he told The Associated Press What was it like when the animals arrived: “They asked me for help and asked if I could examine them.”
At that moment, the doctor gave them ice on the hands, feet and connected them to serums with electrolytes. “They are recovering. They are aggressive, they bite again“, he claimed.
For his part, the biologist Gilberto Pozo stated that the monkeys “They fell from the trees like apples“and that “they were in a state of severe dehydration and they died in a matter of minutes.” Furthermore, attributed their deaths to heat, drought, forest fires and loggingwhich causes them to be left without shade, fruit and water.
Due to the situation, the biologist’s group has created a special recovery station for monkeys. For its part, the Government recognized the problem late and the president Andrés Manuel López Obrador He assured that he found out what is happening with the monkeys on Monday of this week.
The characteristics of the howler monkey
This species has large jaws, teeth and fangs. His name has to do with his roar, since it is similar to that of lions. Some males can weigh more than 13.5 kg and live up to 20 years.
For the inhabitants of Tabasco, the howler monkey is a very appreciated. The inhabitants claim that the monkeys tell them the time of day by howling in the morning and at night.
Heat wave in Mexico
Mexico is going through a heat wave and is preparing for even higher temperatures, which according to experts could be the warmest in history and generating high levels of pollution.
The researchers of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) They indicated that “in the next 10 or 15 days, the country will experience the highest temperatures recorded in history” and noted that the heat “could generate high levels of pollutants due to the presence of ozone.”
The heat is also worsening the effects of the drought, which already affects more than 70% of the national territory, according to data from the National Water Comission. The high temperatures, even above 50° centigradeare affecting the nation’s fauna and could be the cause of howler monkeys that have fallen dead from trees in some tropical areas of the southeast of the country.
“2024 is very likely to be the warmest year on record“added the experts from the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate Change and the Climate Change Research Program of the UNAM.
Source: Ambito
