Primates of the Greater Mekong: Status, Threats, and Conservation Efforts

With approximately 512 species across 91 countries, primates are the third most species-rich mammalian group in the world. Of these species, about 125 occur in 22 Asian countries. The species numbers are not precise because new primate species are still being discovered or described. The Greater Mekong region—spanning Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam— is home to 44 primate species. Some of these species are endemic to only one country. But deforestation, habitat degradation, and poaching driven by trade and consumption have forced many primate species to the brink of extinction.