Folk medicine poses threat to primate species

Traditional folk medicine poses a threat to the future of primates across the globe. According to a major scientific survey at least 101 primate species are still used in traditional folk practices and in magic or religious rituals. For instance, spider monkeys are eaten to treat rheumatism, while gorilla parts are given to pregnant women. Such practices are accelerating the declines of many already vulnerable species, says a survey published in a UK journal. Of 390 species studied, 101, or more than a quarter, are regularly killed for their body parts, with 47 species being used for their supposed medicinal properties, 34 for use in magical or religious practices, and 20 for both purposes. These primates belong to 38 genera and 10 different families, ranging from monkeys such as langurs and macaques to apes such as gorillas, and smaller primates such as lorises. Of the 101 primates recorded by the survey, 12 are classified by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as being critically endangered, 23 as endangered and 22 as vulnerable.