Saving the brown-headed spider monkey in the Canandé Reserve in Ecuador

The Jocotoco Foundation has acquired and placed under protection over 42,000 hectares of rainforest in Ecuador, forming part of a nationwide network of 15 reserves. It works closely with the local population, creates jobs and carries out important educational work. The Canandé Reserve, covering just under 19,000 hectares, is situated in the Chocó, a lowland rainforest region west of the Ecuadorian Andes. This rainforest is particularly rich in species and ranks among the five most important biodiversity hotspots worldwide. At the same time, road construction and settlement development driven by the growing population in this area are leading to one of the highest rates of deforestation in South America. Only 2–5 per cent of the original forest area remains. The aim of the Canandé Reserve is to link the two state-protected areas, El Pambilar and Cotacachi-Cayapas National Park, thereby creating a large, contiguous forest area.

Home for the Ecuadorian brown-headed spider monkey

With a population of fewer than approximately 850 individuals, the Ecuadorian brown-headed spider monkey is one of the world’s most endangered primates. In the Canandé Reserve, synchronised censuses have confirmed the presence of more than half of the total population. It is therefore the largest known population of this subspecies. Daily patrols by park rangers have put a stop to the hunting of spider monkeys in the project area, and reforestation efforts are ensuring a continuous habitat, allowing the population to slowly recover.