Monkeys Forest Tales: reflexions about citizen sciene

On June 12, 2026June 12, 2026 By zocayprojectLeave a comment

In today’s post we want to discuss citizen science. Last month we celebrated the Global Big Day, an incredible experience of citizen science that had produced an incredible amount of data about birds, their migrations, habitat use and had promoted thousands of conservation initiatives around the world. As a Colombian, the world most diverse country in birds, and despite birds not been the main focus of my career, I had also participated in this incredible effort in past years. However, recent comments and opinions on social media in the country made me reflect on the real purpose of listing animal observations.

Especially, during the last five years, I had seen a general pattern to show these citizen science exercises as some kind of competition between municipalities, departments and even countries that I consider is making more harm than good to the main purpose of these events (i.e. Global Big Day and October Big Day). The participation of citizens and public in these events should be used to promote awareness about the importance of animals, in this case birds, and highlight its threats and open spaces to discuss possible options to reduce those threats. Instead, it seems to become some kind of show in which people just compete to see who can see more animals than others.I wonder if we as scientists are also forgetting that these events are opportunities to show communities how important their ways of living are and how some of the practices they have done traditionally contribute to the number of animals they are able to record. Also, to teach kids basic skills about the most basic principle in science, the scientific method and how to apply it and used to solve everyday problems in their communities.

In primatology, primate watching is a merging trend that can promote primates awareness while improving economic income of local communities. As bird watching, primate watching had the potential to increase our knowledge of primate distribution, habitat use and detection of emerging threats. However, we need to be careful to not used them as a competition where the only valuable thing is just to take the picture without looking at the context in which the animals are living. Although we don’t have a platform in which we can report primates in the same way we report birds (eBird), we still can report our observations in iNaturalist platform and make that data useful for project including citizen science. Let’s enjoy observing nature, not because is a competition but because nature is beautiful and deserve protection…

If you want to support our activities, please visit https://fineartamerica.com/art/xyomara+carretero or get in contact with us at xcarretero@gmail.com if you want to collaborate, donate or volunteer in our activities. You can also support our activities by buying our ornate titi monkeys stuff dolls https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctm_sEORvk8/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== and our new journals in Amazon https://www.amazon.com/X-Carretero/dp/B0CWD1DBJM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?© Copyright Disclaimer. All pictures used on this web page are protected with copyrights to Xyomara Carretero-Pinzón. If you want to use any of these pictures, please leave a message on the website or contact xcarretero@gmail.com

Monkey Forest Tales: Starting a new research project

On May 29, 2026 By zocayprojectLeave a comment

In today’s post we are talking a bit more about a new research project that Zocay Project is leading in collaboration with the Association of Colombian Primatologist (Asociación Primatológica Colombiana in Spanish) that is focus on the three endemic species present in the piedmont of Colombian Llanos. These species are ornate titi monkeys (Plecturocebus ornatus), Colombian squirrel monkeys (Saimiri albigena) and Brumback night monkeys (Aotus brumbacki). This new project is focused on the design of the Action Plan for the conservation of these three species. Unfortunately these three species are distributed in an area of economic development, which means high deforestation rates throughout their distribution and associated threats such as road killings, increased risk of conflict with local human communities due to crop raiding, isolation of their populations and its possibles consequences in terms of their genetics, more risk of disease from humans and domestic animals, illegal traffic, among others.

Why is so important to design Action Plans for species in any category of threat of extinction? Because this tool helps us to define the priority actions, we need to do to conserve those species and reduce their risk to become extinct. Although a lot of the focus is made on species Critically Endangered, if we start working with species in lower categories such as Vulnerable and Endangered, we reduce the risk that we lose these species. In our case, Brumback night monkeys and Colombian squirrel monkeys are classified as Vulnerable. Ornate titi monkeys as we had mentioned in other posts were recently suggested to be changed to Endangered, a change that was suggested only 11 years after the last revision of its conservation status. This means a rapid change in the conditions in which this endemic primate is found in their natural habitat.

We already are in the preliminary part of this project that includes meetings with experts who have made Action Plans for other monkey species, as well as experts who work with monkeys in Colombia and Latin America, especially with similar species to the one we are focusing on. We are also preparing the main event of this project that includes a workshop with different actors and institutions present in the region in which ornate titi monkeys, Colombian squirrel monkeys and Brumback night monkeys are distributed. This preparation includes multiple meetings, logistic organization and review of the available information from these species, as well as an analysis of the current habitat available for these forest-dependent monkeys. We are excited about this new opportunity to work for the conservation of endemic monkeys in Colombia and I’m personally grateful with the APC for their support. We are also grateful for the financial support of Re:wild and The Little Chalcraft Fund. More news on this in the following months.

© Copyright Disclaimer. All pictures used on this web page are protected with copyrights to Xyomara Carretero-Pinzón. If you want to use any of these pictures, please leave a message on the website or contact xcarretero@gmail.com

Monkey Forest Tales: field stories and reflexions

On May 15, 2026May 29, 2026 By zocayprojectLeave a comment

In today’s post we are sharing some of the activities we are doing on Zocay Project. As we had mentioned before we have been doing a review of the geographic distribution of the Colombian squirrel monkey (Saimiri albigena) and we are at the end of the field season of this project.

As every time we do this kind of research it is surprising how some species that you think are common and seem to be doing well in reality seem to be worse than we thought. This project had taken us to the limits of the geographic distribution of our endemic Colombian squirrel monkey and the borders of Humboldt and Colombian squirrel monkeys in Colombia. This had allowed us to visit different areas of the Orinoquia region that, due to social unrest, I thought I would never visit. Those areas included zones in which the natural savannas join the lowland forest in Vichada- Guahinia department borders and the areas where the gallery forest and natural savannas become prevalent in the east of Meta department. It also took us back to the border of Guaviare – Meta departments where the lowland forest becomes denser and the Amazonian and Orinoquian regions of Colombia join. All those areas face the same deforestation threat product of cattle ranching expansion and commercial plantations of palm oil, rubber, pine and eucalyptus that sometimes looks so alien in the middle of the dissected savannas.

This project as well as the ornate titi monkey distribution project we developed last year, had showed me the importance of combining not only the GIS skills I learned a few years back in my doctorate but also the importance of doing fieldwork, visit places and recognize the different land covers on the ground and to talk with the local people to learn more about the changes the landscape had over the past decades.It also showed me that it was a good decision to change my scale of work to include landscapes and not only one site and the importance of integrating new skills and technology in the way I do research.

When I change my focus from traditional primatology, following one group of monkeys, for a landscape ecology approach, in which multiple sites, multiple monkeys species and land cover changes are analyzed together, I wasn’t sure if it was the right decision for me, but now I feel is not only right but necessary to not only understand the processes happening in the ecosystems in which the monkeys live but also a way to find solutions and mitigation actions that allow us to conserve primate species in these type of highly transformed landscapes. Will see where this path will take me and Zocay Project in the future…

Monkey Forest Tales: Celebrating Earth Month!!!

On May 1, 2026 By zocayprojectLeave a comment

In today’s blog we want to take some time to reflect on the celebration of Earth month. This month I had the opportunity to visit several places as part of some personal consultancies as well as part of the activities that Zocay Project is doing at the moment. These activities have made me reflect on the impacts we individually have on our planet and the efforts people in different regions are making to protect the native flora and fauna, especially in areas where developing activities are around them impacting the same flora and fauna they want to conserve. Looking at their commitment and how some of them have changed the way they see native wildlife now that they understand their importance for ecosystems and for their quality of life, make me think that we have hope for the future of our planet but at the same time make me wonder if there is still time to save what we have left.

I also want to celebrate Earth month, that by the way we should celebrate all year around not one day or month, by recognizing the responsibility that my work and the work of Zocay Project does every day to understand how monkeys and sometimes other wildlife persist in landscapes in which human activities are prevalent. It is amazing sometimes how flexible plants and animals are and how wonderful nature is by itself and its capacity to recover despite the effects our activities have on them. However, we are really pushing Earth limits to its resilience, and it seems we forget that we only have this one planet to live on, I just hope we still have time to reverse some of the effects of our activities. Let’s celebrate the beauty and resilience of Nature and the Orinoquia region in Colombia and all its wildlife today and every day.

Monkey Forest Tales: A collaborative short note of an opportunistic event from black-capped capuchins eating a Brumback night monkey (Español abajo)

On April 17, 2026April 5, 2026 By zocayprojectLeave a comment

In today’s post, we continue with our series of publications resulting from our work in Zocay Project study area over the past 21 years. Today’s post is about a collaborative short note, my first publication, about an opportunistic event in which a black-capped capuchin group eat a carcass of a female Brumback night monkeys after they found it dead inside its nesting hole. The reason why we classify this event as an opportunistic consumption and not a predation event is because no hunting behavior was observed or hear from the capuchin monkeys’ group before we saw them eating the female Brumback night monkey. If you want to know more I invite you to read the short note here.

Sometimes when we are in the field following monkeys or doing surveys, we observe unusual behaviors, things that animals do occasionally, interactions with other species that are not common. All those observations are part of the natural history of each species and because they are rare in occurrence, therefore sometimes it becomes more difficult to study. The reason why I’m mentioning this is because we have the tendency to forget that those observations are also important to publish and that is the reason for short notes publications. I encourage you to publish those short notes and be more observant while you are doing fieldwork. We always should have a clear question and objectives in our projects but also need to register all those rare observations because those observations can be an indication of bigger changes in animal behavior, especially in fragmented landscapes.

Español: Una nota corta colaborativa de un evento oportunístico de los monos maiceros comiendo

En este blog, continuamos con nuestra serie de publicaciones resultado de nuestro trabajo en el área de estudio del Proyecto Zocay por los últimos 21 años. El blog de hoy es acerca de una nota colaborativa, mi primera publicación científica, acerca un evento oportunístico en el cual un grupo de maiceros comió el cuerpo de una hembra de mico nocturno llanero después de encontrarla muerta dentro de su nido. La razón de que clasificáramos este evento como un consumo oportunista en vez de un evento de predación debido a que no se observó ni escucho ningún comportamiento de cacería del grupo de maiceros antes de verlos comer el cuerpo de la hembra de mico nocturno muerta. Si usted quiere conocer más le invito a leer la nota corta aqui.

A veces cuando estamos en el campo siguiendo monos o haciendo censos, observamos comportamientos inusuales, cosas que los animales hacer ocasionalmente, interacciones con otras especies que no son comunes. Todas esas observaciones son parte de la historia natural de cada especie y debido a que ocurren rara vez, entonces a veces se vuelven más difíciles de estudiar. La razón de porque menciono esto es porque tenemos la tendencia de olvidar que estas observaciones también es importante publicarlas y es la razón de las publicaciones de las notas cortas. Los animo a que publiquen esas notas cortas y sean más observadores mientras están haciendo campo. Siempre debemos tener preguntas y objetivos claros en nuestros proyectos perno también necesitamos registrar todas esas observaciones raras porque esas observaciones pueden ser una indicación de cambios más grandes en el comportamiento animal, especialmente en paisajes fragmentados.

Monkey Forest Tales: News from the field – educational activities and more babies!

On April 4, 2026 By zocayprojectLeave a comment

In today’s post we are going to talk about our last field activities from the past week. We were invited to participate in a local event in San Martin town, close to Zocay Project field site where we talk with kids from four local schools (groups from primary school and high school from each institution) about the ornate titi monkey and other primates present in the forest nearby the town. We also went to monitor the Colombian squirrel monkeys and ornate titi monkey’s groups in our field site and count babies of these two species before the end of the birth season.

On March 27th, we have the opportunity to participate in a local activity organized by a local business called “El pepeo”, this activity aims to recover a traditional practice from San Martin, a town funded in 1585. El pepo means eat wild native fruits, for many years local people from San Martin town used to eat a lot of native wild fruits and that is the reason why people from this town was called “cafuches”, the common local name used for the white-lipped peccary, who is known to eat wild native fruits while roaming in the forest. During this activity we talk with kids from different grades about the endemic primate species living in the area: ornate titi monkeys (Plecturocebus ornatus), Colombian squirrel monkeys (Saimiri albigena) and Brumback night monkeys (Aotus brumbacki). We share information about what they eat, how they live and why they are so important to the forest and us. We also share color booklets with them. We also had the opportunity to share with local people working to share their knowledge of the town’s history, and their love for native plants and birds during this activity. Our participation was supported by Primate Conservation Inc., who sponsor the design and printing of the color booklet and materials and cover our expenses to travel to San Martin town.

After this, we had visited the forest and do our monthly monitoring of Colombian squirrel monkey’s groups as it is still the birth season for this species, we saw some of the babies born in past months and a few new ones. We were fortunate enough to also discover small babies from ornate titi monkeys and black-capped capuchins in several groups. We also had the opportunity to spent time with the group of Colombian squirrel monkey I followed several years ago and see them foraging on the ground again.If you want to support our activities, please visit https://fineartamerica.com/art/xyomara+carretero or get in contact with us at xcarretero@gmail.com if you want to collaborate, donate or volunteer in our activities. You can also support our activities by buying our ornate titi monkeys stuff dolls https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctm_sEORvk8/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== and our new journals in Amazon https://www.amazon.com/X-Carretero/dp/B0CWD1DBJM/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?

© Copyright Disclaimer. All pictures used on this web page are protected with copyrights to Xyomara Carretero-Pinzón, Gabriela Luna and Graciela Pinzón. If you want to use any of these pictures, please leave a message on the website or contact xcarretero@gmail.com

Monkey Forest Tales: A collaborative article about taxonomy and conservation of Colombian squirrel monkeys (Español abajo)

On March 13, 2026March 5, 2026 By zocayprojectLeave a comment

On today’s post, we continue con our series of publications resulting from our work in Zocay Project study area over the past 21 years. Today’s post is about a collaborative article, my first article, about the taxonomy and conservation status of the Colombian squirrel monkeys when it was still classified as an endemic subspecies (Saimiri cassiquiarensis albigena) based on demographic, population and genetics data. This article is based on data collected in the Project Zocay area where Colombian squirrel monkeys had been observed for several years. In this article we suggest that Colombian squirrel monkey’s conservation status was changed from near threatened to vulnerable due to an estimated reduction in their populations and geographic distribution area (A2a, b and B1 a, b (ii,iii and iv)). Additionally, we suggested, based on comparative studies of 1140 base pairs of the cytochrome b mitochondrial gene of 38 Saimiri specimens of nine different taxa, that the Colombian taxa could be considered subspecies of Saimiri cassiquiarensis (not S. sciureus as was believed), all showing similar haplotypes that are different from Saimiri sciureus sciureus of the eastern Amazon. An alternative arrangement could place the three Colombian taxa north of the Río Amazonas — albigena, macrodon, and cassiquiarensis — as full species. This last alternative arrangement had been suggested more recently by other authors (Rylands et al 2024). Although it had been more than a decade since this article was published, it is important to highlight that in areas where habitat is constantly changing due to human activities, conservation status of endemic species and/ or subspecies should be assessed periodically to detect additional threats or the increase of previously detected threats.

This is the reason why from last year, Zocay Project had been doing a more extensive revision of the conservation status and distribution of the endemic Colombian squirrel monkeys, a project supported by Rewild, that is in their final fieldwork season. In highly fragmented areas it is important that we monitor populations of endemic subspecies and/or species before we have to classify them as endangered or critically endangered or even as extinct. Funding to study this species and/or subspecies should not be delayed until the species had reach an Endangered or Critically Endangered status, we should be able to take actions before that, so we can save them from extinction and manage more effectively the cost of conserving them.

Un artículo colaborativo sobre la taxonomía y conservación del mono ardilla colombiano

En este blog, continuamos con nuestra serie de publicaciones resultado de nuestro trabajo en el área de estudio del Proyecto Zocay por los últimos 21 años. El blog de hoy es acerca de un artículo colaborativo, mi primer artículo, sobre la taxonomía y estado de conservación del mono ardilla colombiano cuando era clasificado como una subespecie endémica (Saimiri cassiquiarensis albigena) basado en datos demográficos, poblacionales y genéticos. Este artículo se basa en datos colectados en el área de estudio del Proyecto Zocay donde el mono ardilla colombiano ha sido observado por varios años. En este artículo sugerimos que el estado de conservación del mono ardilla colombiano fuera cambiado de casi amenazado a vulnerable debido a una reducción estimada de sus poblaciones y área geográfica de distribución (A2a, b y B1 a, b (ii,iii y iv)). Adicionalmente, sugerimos, basados en estudios comparativos de 1140 pares de bases del gen mitocondrial citocromo b de 38 especímenes de Saimiri de nueve taxa diferentes que el mono ardilla colombiano fuera considerado una subespecie de Saimiri cassiquiarensis (no de S. sciureus como se creía en ese momento), todos mostrando haplotipos similares que son diferentes de los de Saimiri sciureus sciureus del oriente del Amazonas. Un arreglo alternativo puede ser colocar los tres taxa colombianos del norte del Río Amazonas — albigena, macrodon y cassiquiarensis — como especies separadas. Este último arreglo ha sido sugerido más recientemente por otros autores (Rylands et al 2024). Aunque ha pasado más de una década desde que este artículo fue publicado, es importante resaltar que en áreas donde el hábitat es continuamente cambiante debido a actividades humanas, el estado de conservación de las subespecies y/o especies debe ser evaluado periódicamente para detectar amenazas adicionales o el incremento de las amenazas previamente detectadas.

Esta es la razón del porque desde el año pasado el Proyecto Zocay está haciendo una revisión más extensiva del estado de conservación y distribución del mono ardilla colombiano endémico, un proyecto apoyado por Rewild, que está en su fase de campo final. En áreas altamente fragmentadas es importante que monitoreemos las poblaciones de especies y/o subespecies endémicas antes de tener que clasificarlas como en estado de En Peligro o Críticamente Amenazadas o incluso Extintas. La financiación para estudiar estas especies y/o subespecies no debería retrasarse hasta que las especies alcancen el estado de En Peligro o Críticamente Amenazadas, deberíamos ser capaces de tomar acciones antes de eso, de forma que podamos salvarlas de la extinción y manejar más efectivamente el costo de conservarlas.

monkey Forest Tales: Celebrating International wildlife day!

On March 6, 2026March 5, 2026 By zocayprojectLeave a comment

In today’s post we are going to celebrate the international wildlife day by talking about our fieldwork and some of the main challenges of the dry season that finally arrive in our study area. This year the dry season takes a bit longer to arrive with rainy days lasting until the beginning of February, by now the streams in the farms on which Zocay Project works are almost completely dried and wildlife, including monkeys, are using small ponds to drink water. Colombian squirrel monkeys continue to have new babies and the forest is drier.

One of the main challenges during the dry season in the area is fire. Some of the traditional practices in the area during the dry season is to burn pastures so new pastures sprouts can feed cows during the dry season when pastures are dry and the pastures are dry and with less nutrition. However, sometimes these fires can get out of control if precautions are not taken, especially because the wind during the dry season can be strong and spread the fire farther. Additionally, during dry season the soil and small streams dried out making the soil at the edge more prone to get fire if ditches are not done a few meters from the edge to protect the forest fragments from these intentional fires used in traditional practices. Fortunately, there is more research now on how to handle these fires in the Orinoquia region of Colombia and hopefully less damage from these traditional practices will reach the already highly fragmented areas of this region, if people are aware of their impact and follow established fire protocols.

Despite this, dry season also brings more wildlife sightings as animals concentrate in areas where water is available. During our samplings this month we were able to see new Colombian squirrel monkey babies as well as black capped capuchin babies. The scarlet ibis are everywhere with their radiant red plumages and deer are easier to detect at the forest edges resting during the hot midday hours. Fruits are available and life continues even in the hottest days…

Monkey Forest Tales: A collaborative chapter on the conservation status of Colombian squirrel monkeys (Saimiri albigena). (Español abajo)

On February 20, 2026February 6, 2026 By zocayprojectLeave a comment

On today’s post, we continue con our series of publications resulting from our work in Zocay Project study area over the past 21 years. Today’s post is about a chapter aimed at evaluating the conservation status of the Colombian squirrel monkey when it was still classified as an endemic subspecies (Saimiri cassiquiarensis albigena) based on habitat availability, ecological and population information from several areas of their distribution area. This taxonomy is still in revision, and some authors classified them as a subspecies (Saimiri cassiquiarensis albigena) or as species (Saimiri albigena). Although this taxonomic revision needs more genetic studies, in this blog recently we start using the taxonomy that classified them as a species based on their differential color pattern of gray arms and legs with or without yellowish hands, however genetic studies comparing this and the other two subspecies/ species of squirrel monkeys in Colombia still need to be done.

The results of this chapter showed that Colombian squirrel monkeys distribution area were reduced in almost half due to palm oil plantations in the Colombian Llanos and its use as a pet. It also showed variable densities (7,69 – 167.62 ind/ km2), with low census numbers (191 in 532.78 km2). This study also showed that isolation and fragment size are some of the variables affecting the long-term permanence of groups in the highly disturbed area of the Colombian squirrel monkey’s distribution. We suggested a change in its conservation status from Near Threatened to Vulnerable under IUCN criteria A2 (a, b) and B1 (a, b (ii, iii and iv)) and suggested the use of fence rows of different heights and covertures, education programs, and joint work with livestock farmers and palm oil plantations as management strategies that could reduce the isolation, disturbance and local extinction of this Colombian endemic subspecies/ species.

Español: Un capítulo colaborativo sobre el estado de conservación del mono fraile o ardilla colombiano (Saimiri albigena)

Los resultados de este capítulo mostraron que el área de distribución de los monos frailes o ardilla colombianos se redujo en casi la mitad debido a las plantaciones de palma africana en los Llanos Colombianos y a su uso como mascotas. También mostró densidades variables (7,69 – 167.62 ind/ km2), con bajos números censales (191 en 532.78 km2). Este studio también mostró que el aislamiento y el tamaño del fragmento son algunas de las variables que afectan la permanencia en el largo plazo de los grupos en estas zonas de alta perturbación del área de distribución de la especie. Sugerimos un cambio en su estado de conservación de Casi Amenazado (NT en inglés) a Vulnerable Bajo el criterio de la UICN A2 (a, b) y B1 (a, b (ii, iii and iv)) y sugerimos el uso de cercas vivas de diferentes alturas y coberturas, programas de educación y un trabajo conjunto con ganaderos y plantaciones de palma africana como estrategias de manejo que pueden reducir el aislamiento, perturbación y extinción local de esta subespecie/ especie endémica colombiana.

Monkey Forest Tales: Its Colombian squirrel monkey and ornate titi monkeys’ babies season again!!!

On February 6, 2026 By zocayprojectLeave a comment

In today’s blog we have some news from the field. We continue with our monitoring during the Colombian squirrel monkeys (Saimiri albigena) and ornate titi monkeys (Plecturocebus ornatus) babies’ season and… there is new babies in Villavicencio and San Martin areas. We also observed a red howler baby (Alouatta seniculus) on our last field trip. There are still several Colombian squirrel monkey females pregnant in both areas. We also saw a few new babies born in one of the groups in Villavicencio within a week.

This year the rain pattern changes and we had more than usual rain in December 2025 and January 2026, however this pattern seems to be only in some areas of San Martin and not in the whole municipality. Anyway, some of these rain changes had some apparent effects on fruit availability during this beginning of the year months. We observed some fruits at the end of January that usually are present in October…let’s see how much of these changes will be observed during this 2026… Despite the rains, the farm stream at San Martin is low and dried y some areas.

We start this year work with a volunteer from Indonesia, Sonia, who help us with our Colombian squirrel monkey’s babies count in January and experience the joy of looking at newborn babies and pregnant moms. Thank you, Sonia!

We also start our planning for the next part of our project of the Colombian squirrel monkey distribution which starts in the following weeks. And we will have some education activities focus on the ornate titi monkeys during this year in San Martin area. Although we are busy with all fieldwork and educational activities for this semester, we are also continue working in our future publications that are the product of all this field work, so stay tuned for more news on this soon….

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