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SCIENCE Monday 8 June 2020
Coronavirus disrupts global fight to save endangered species

By CHRISTINA LARSON AP safari operators in Africa
Science Writer hope to sustain some reve-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Biolo- nue and are urging clients
gist Carlos Ruiz has spent to reschedule their book-
a quarter-century working ings. In a poll of operators
to save golden lion tama- on the Your African Safari
rins, the charismatic long- site, nearly two-thirds said
maned monkeys native to the majority of their book-
Brazil's Atlantic Forest. ings had been postponed,
Thanks to painstaking refor- not canceled.
estation efforts, the popu- Tropical biologist Patricia
lation of these endangered Wright notes that conser-
monkeys was steadily vation isn't work that can
growing until an outbreak be simply dropped for a
of yellow fever hit Brazil in while and then picked
2018, wiping out a third of up again "because it de-
the tamarins. Undeterred, pends so much on relation-
Ruiz's team devised an am- ships with people and local
bitious new experiment: communities." q
This spring, they would start
vaccinating many of the
remaining wild monkeys.
Enter the coronavirus,
which is now hampering This 2019 photo provided by Noel Rowe and Centre ValBio shows a golden bamboo lemur in
critical work to protect Madagascar. Associated Press
threatened species and
habitats worldwide. University ecologist Stuart ery country, but reduced which manages 17 nation-
First, members of Ruiz's Pimm, founder of the non- enforcement of environ- al parks and protected ar-
team exposed to the virus profit Saving Nature. "But I mental laws is a common eas in 11 countries.
had to be quarantined. can't think of another time concern." In Nepal, forest- "We saw that $7.5 million
Then the government when almost every country related crimes like illegal was suddenly wiped off our
closed national parks and on the planet has faced logging have more than income statement for the
protected areas to both the impacts of the same doubled since lockdowns year," he said, adding that
the public and researchers big disaster at once." began, including in five ecotourism next year may
in mid-April, effectively bar- In Guatemala, indigenous parks with endangered recover to only about half
ring scientists from the re- communities that monitor Bengal tigers, according to of previous levels.
serves where tamarins live. rainforests are struggling to the government and World While keeping up essential
"We are worried about miss- contain one of the worst fire Wildlife Fund. maintenance and ranger
ing the window of oppor- seasons in two decades, as In many African countries, patrols to dissuade poten-
tunity to save the species," government firefighting re- wildlife tourism provides tial poachers, Fearnhead's
said Ruiz, the president of sources are devoted to the significant income to main- team is cutting travel costs
the nonprofit Golden Lion pandemic. "Ninety-nine tain parks where vulnerable by holding meetings over
Tamarin Association. "We percent of these fires are species such as elephants, Zoom and also reaching
hope that we ... can still do started by people, and it's lions, rhinos and giraffes out to potential internation-
our work before a second mostly done deliberately live. al donors.
wave of yellow fever hits." to open space for illegal But after the coronavirus "A protected area that is
While the scientists follow cattle ranching," said Erick struck, "the entire interna- not being actively man-
government guidelines, Cuellar, deputy director of tional tourism sector basi- aged will be lost," he said.
they know that people in- an alliance of community cally closed down over- Jennifer Goetz, co-founder
tent on illegally exploiting organizations within Gua- night in March," said Peter of a web site that provides
the rainforests are still en- temala's Maya Biosphere Fearnhead, the CEO of information about ethical
tering the parks, because Reserve called Asociación nonprofit African Parks, travel packages, said many
several motion-activated de Comunidades Fores-
research cameras have tales de Petén.
been smashed. Indigenous people are
Around the world, govern- stepping up as volun-
ment resources diverted teer firefighters, but they
to pandemic efforts have are now doubly strained:
opened opportunities for Closed borders have shriv-
illegal land clearing and eled their income from
poaching. Lockdowns also sustainably harvested for-
have derailed the eco- est exports, such as palm
tourism that funds many en- fronds sold for flower ar-
vironmental projects, from rangements.
South America's rainforests "Tropical forests are rich in
to Africa's savannahs. biodiversity, so we're los-
"Scientists and conserva- ing rare flora and fauna,"
tionists have faced inter- said Jeremy Radachowsky,
ruptions from big global director for Mesoamerica This 2016 photo provided by African Parks shows a black rhino
disasters before, like an at the nonprofit Wildlife under protection in Malawi's Liwonde National Park, managed
by African Parks in partnership with the Department of National
earthquake or a coup in Conservation Society. "The Parks and Wildlife.
one country," said Duke situation is different in ev- Associated Press