Today marks the start of Chinese New Year, with millions of people around the world taking part in colourful celebrations. Each Chinese New Year is characterised by one of 12 animals which appear in the Chinese Zodiac. This year it’s the Year of the Monkey, the 9th of the 12 animals in the Zodiac.

As well as sharing the monkey sign with celebrity environmentalists Tom Hanks, Bo Derek and Gisele Bündchen, people born under the monkey sign are said to share certain character traits. To mark the start of the New Year, we’ve swung around the Arkive collection to reveal the personality traits people born in the Year of the Monkey share with their wild relatives.

Witty

People born in the Year of the Monkey are thought to have a good sense of humour, like this guy…

…they’re also partial to monkeying around like this pair having a snowball fight…

Japanese macaques play fighting in snow

and they’re not afraid of taking risks…

Barbary macaques playing dangerously near a cliff edge

Intelligent

With expressive faces monkeys are really charismatic but they aren’t just interesting to look at, they are also very intelligent. They are particularly bright when it comes to finding food.

From swimming to find the best food…

Assam macaque swimming

…to washing it before eating it…

Japanese macaque running to sea to clean a sweet potato

…many monkey species know how to feed their appetites. But they also know to make sure they get their vitamins and minerals. Take these gray langurs licking rocks to obtain salt…

Group of gray langurs at natural salt lick

…and this dusky leaf monkey whose found water on tap…

Dusky leaf monkey drinking from tap

Mischievous

The Endangered Barbary macaque is the only native species of primate to occur in Europe. But like its relatives, this monkey has a rather mischievous side. Like all macaques, they have cheek pouches beside the lower teeth that are used to store food when foraging and can hold as much food as the stomach. But why forage when you can just steal? Watch this cheeky monkey steel food from another’s cheek pouch.

Click image to watch video of Barbary macaque stealing food from another’s mouth

Ultimately, monkeys they know how to have a good time…

Click image to watch video

新年好

新年好

Comments Off on Chinese New Year 2016 – The Year of the Monkey Share

We’ve asked conservation organisations around the world to nominate a species that they believe to be overlooked, underappreciated and unloved, and tell us why they think that they deserve a fair share of the limelight, this Valentine’s Day.

Each nominee’s story is featured on the Arkive blog with information on the species, what makes them so special, the conservation organisation that nominated them and how they are working to save them from extinction.

Click the ‘unloved species’ tag above to see all of the nominations and their blogs.

Once you have perused the blogs you can vote for your favourite to help get them into the top ten unloved species and get them the recognition that they truly deserve! Share your favourite with others using the #LoveSpecies hashtag on Twitter and Facebook and tell them why they should vote for them too. Voting closes on February 14th at 23:59 PST (07:59 GMT).

Join us and our conservation partners in celebrating and raising awareness for some of the world’s most unloved species this Valentine’s Day!

Species: Mangrove finch

Nominated by: Charles Darwin Foundation

Conservation status: Critically Endangered

Why do you love it? The mangrove finch (Camarynchus heliobates) is one of 14 species of Darwin’s finches that only live in the Galapagos Islands. It is the rarest bird in the archipelago with an estimated population of 80 individuals, inhabiting just 30 hectards at two sites on Isabela Island.

What are the threats to the mangrove finch: The main known threats to this species are the introduced parasitic fly, Philornis downsi and the introduced black rat (Rattus rattus).

What are you doing to save it? The Mangrove Finch Project is a bi-institutional project carried out by the Charles Darwin Foundation and Galapagos National Park Directorate in collaboration with San Diego Zoo Global and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. The project is supported by Galapagos Conservation Trust, The Leona M and Harry B Helmsley Charitable Trust, and The British Embassy in Ecuador.

Find out more about the work of the Charles Darwin Foundation

Discover more of Darwin’s finches on Arkive

VOTE NOW!

Comments Off on Vote for your favourite unloved species – mangrove finch Share

We’ve asked conservation organisations around the world to nominate a species that they believe to be overlooked, underappreciated and unloved, and tell us why they think that they deserve a fair share of the limelight, this Valentine’s Day.

Each nominee’s story is featured on the Arkive blog with information on the species, what makes them so special, the conservation organisation that nominated them and how they are working to save them from extinction.

Click the ‘unloved species’ tag above to see all of the nominations and their blogs.

Once you have perused the blogs you can vote for your favourite to help get them into the top ten unloved species and get them the recognition that they truly deserve! Share your favourite with others using the #LoveSpecies hashtag on Twitter and Facebook and tell them why they should vote for them too. Voting closes on February 14th at 23:59 PST (07:59 GMT).

Join us and our conservation partners in celebrating and raising awareness for some of the world’s most unloved species this Valentine’s Day!

Species: Mountain chicken

Nominated by: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust

Conservation status: Critically Endangered

Why do you love it? Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but we believe the mountain chicken is a beautiful frog! It’s the largest frog in the Americas and top native terrestrial predator on Montserrat and Dominica and culturally important to the islanders. It has a unique breeding system, with a high degree of parental care making it more like a bird than a frog and living up to its common English moniker. Once abundant across the islands its population has been decimated and its once familiar deep call has disappeared from the night-time.

What are the threats to the mountain chicken? Primary threat is the amphibian fungal disease chytridiomycosis.

What are you doing to save it? The Mountain Chicken Recovery Programme is a partnership between Durrell, ZSL, Chester Zoo, Norden’s Ark and the Governments of Montserrat and Dominica.

One key activity this year is that we want to unite the last two known wild mountain chickens on Montserrat – one male and one female – in the hope that they will breed, and with everyone’s support provide a happy Valentine’s ending for all.

Find out more about Durrell’s work with the mountain chicken

Find out more about the collaborative effort to save the mountain chicken from extinction

Discover more frog and toad species on Arkive

VOTE NOW!

Add Comment (1) Share

We’ve asked conservation organisations around the world to nominate a species that they believe to be overlooked, underappreciated and unloved, and tell us why they think that they deserve a fair share of the limelight, this Valentine’s Day.

Each nominee’s story is featured on the Arkive blog with information on the species, what makes them so special, the conservation organisation that nominated them and how they are working to save them from extinction.

Click the ‘unloved species’ tag above to see all of the nominations and their blogs.

Once you have perused the blogs you can vote for your favourite to help get them into the top ten unloved species and get them the recognition that they truly deserve! Share your favourite with others using the #LoveSpecies hashtag on Twitter and Facebook and tell them why they should vote for them too. Voting closes on February 14th at 23:59 PST (07:59 GMT).

Join us and our conservation partners in celebrating and raising awareness for some of the world’s most unloved species this Valentine’s Day!

Species: Smalltooth sawfish

Nominated by: Sharks4Kids

Conservation status: Critically Endangered

Why do you love it? The smalltooth sawfish is a perfect ambassador for the diverse, weird and wonderful world of elasmobranchs. The sawfish is a remarkable creature and we’ve been fortunate enough to see a couple in the wild. Most students know about tiger sharks and great whites, but we want their knowledge, curiosity and compassion to spread beyond the celebrity sharks.

What are the threats to the smalltooth sawfish? Their range and population has been drastically reduced over the last century due to fishing. Once a targeted species, they are now mostly caught as bycatch. Because of the teeth on their rostrum, they are easily caught in nets, including gill nets and trawling equipment. Habitat loss has also had an impact, with development removing critical mangrove and estuary areas.

What are you doing to save it? Our main focus is to teach students all around the world about elasmobranchs, the threats they face and how people can help. We do a lot of work with students in Florida and The Bahamas, so the smalltooth sawfish is a very relevant species to discuss. We have created posters and information sheets for kids and teachers to have in the classroom, as well as collaborating with other organisations like Shark Advocates International to promote better global protection of the 5 species of sawfish, all listed as Critically Endangered. We have also done blog interviews with researchers studying these animals, as a way of sharing even more information about these incredible creatures.

Find out more about Sharks4Kids and their conservation work

Discover more ray and skate species on Arkive

VOTE NOW!

Add Comment (3) Share

We’ve asked conservation organisations around the world to nominate a species that they believe to be overlooked, underappreciated and unloved, and tell us why they think that they deserve a fair share of the limelight, this Valentine’s Day.

Each nominee’s story is featured on the Arkive blog with information on the species, what makes them so special, the conservation organisation that nominated them and how they are working to save them from extinction.

Click the ‘unloved species’ tag above to see all of the nominations and their blogs.

Once you have perused the blogs you can vote for your favourite to help get them into the top ten unloved species and get them the recognition that they truly deserve! Share your favourite with others using the #LoveSpecies hashtag on Twitter and Facebook and tell them why they should vote for them too. Voting closes on February 14th at 23:59 PST (07:59 GMT).

Join us and our conservation partners in celebrating and raising awareness for some of the world’s most unloved species this Valentine’s Day!

Species: Javan langur

Nominated by: Aspinall Foundation

Conservation status: Vulnerable

Why do you love it? Langurs are very family-orientated and groups stay together most of their natural lives, with little ones being looked after by the whole group.

We have looked after Javan langurs at both Howletts Wild Animal Park and Port Lympne Reserve, since 1988 and have enjoyed great breeding success with these primates.  We now return langurs (along with Javan gibbons and grizzled leaf monkeys) from the Kent parks to our Javan Primate Project in Indonesia.

At our project, they are looked after by our dedicated team, adjusted to the climate and their new surroundings, before being introduced to langurs or gibbons rescued from the illegal pet trade in Indonesia and eventually released into protected forests in order to boost the dwindling wild population.

Howletts and Port Lympne have bred langurs for the past 20 years and we have one of the largest collections of Javan langurs in the world.

What are the threats to the Javan langur? Habitat loss, the illegal pet trade and hunting are all threats to the Javan langur.

What are you doing to save it? The Aspinall Foundation’s Javan Primate Conservation Project was set up in 2009 and aims to achieve the following:

– The reduction of the illegal trade and possession of Indonesian primates by repression (facilitating confiscation of illegally held primates) and by prevention (information, awareness, education

– The rehabilitation of confiscated primates, for the conservation and individual welfare of these ‘ambassadors’ of their species

– The reintroduction of endangered primate species to sites from where they have been extirpated

– The management of these sites for the restoration and the protection of their natural resources

– The promotion of local, national and international awareness of the threats facing the primates of Java

In addition to boosting indigenous populations with captive-bred primates and those rescued and rehabilitated in the charity’s centres in West and East Java, the Aspinall Foundation along with the Indonesian government is committed to a programme of reducing the illegal hunting and trade of the species through information, education and awareness.

Find out more about the Aspinall Foundation’s overseas projects

Discover more Old World Monkey species on Arkive

VOTE NOW!

Comments Off on Vote for your favourite unloved species – Javan langur Share