Muriqui monkeys will struggle to survive as their forests disappear

High above the forest floor, two quiet giants move through the treetops of Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. The northern and southern muriquis, known for their calm nature and long limbs, once thrived across the region.

Now, the forest that is home to muriqui monkeys is disappearing faster than they can adapt. A recent study published in the Journal for Nature Conservation shows just how severe their struggle might become.

Muriqui habitat is disappearing

Researchers predict the northern muriqui could lose 44 percent of its habitat by 2090. The southern one potentially faces an even harsher 61 percent loss.

São Paulo might lose every bit of suitable land for the northern species before the century ends. These numbers reflect only the effect of climate change. Deforestation, hunting, and forest fragmentation continue to make things worse.

“Climate change alone won’t lead to the extinction of muriquis, according to our projections. But about half of the current climatically favorable area for them could disappear,” said Tiago Vasconcelos, the study’s author and a researcher at São Paulo State University (UNESP).

This is very worrying, considering that there are other factors putting additional pressure on these species of woolly spider monkeys.

Study predicts muriqui habitat loss

The study, supported by FAPESP’s Research Program on Global Climate Change, used a computer model to map future scenarios. It combined data on the muriquis’ current range, and its rainfall, and temperature patterns.

The software then projected these preferences into different future climates – 2030, 2050, 2070, and 2090.

The results were not encouraging. Suitable habitats keep shifting northeast, not expanding. Other animal groups might find new regions to live in, but the muriquis will not. Their space will shrink over the next decades.

“This shift won’t occur with an increase in suitable areas, as is predicted to happen with some animal groups. On the contrary. With the significant loss of areas in the west of their current range, the remaining populations are likely to be restricted to the eastern part,” explained Vasconcelos.

Forests drying and shrinking

Earlier research had already warned of habitat loss, but Vasconcelos showed just how steady and relentless that loss could be.

Semi-deciduous forests, especially in Paraná and São Paulo, are drying faster. These forests lose their leaves during dry seasons and used to be prime territory for muriquis. Now, even those patches are turning hostile.

For the northern species, the steepest decline will happen between 2070 and 2090. By then, São Paulo will have no climate zones left for survival.

Two main refuges might remain: one stretching through Bahia and northeastern Minas Gerais, and another along the Espírito Santo coast. These regions will depend on ombrophilous forests, the lush, rain-fed type that can still resist warmer and drier conditions.

“Climate change is likely to pose particularly difficult challenges for populations of both species in inland areas associated with semi-deciduous forests,” Vasconcelos added.

Muriquis face multiple threats

The research only examined climate effects, but that’s not the full story. Logging and agricultural expansion continue to cut through the remaining forest.

When these habitats break apart, the groups left behind become isolated. Without connection, they lose genetic exchange. Over time, that weakens their ability to survive.

Local extinctions have already appeared in degraded patches. Those small disappearances serve as warnings. Once a population is gone, the forest often loses more than just one species – it loses balance.

Steps toward muriqui survival

Vasconcelos believes the best chance lies in action, not alarm. Protecting the last strongholds along the coast could buy crucial time. Linking those forests through ecological corridors could help the remaining groups reconnect.

“This would give the species the opportunity to maintain gene flow and persist as healthy populations in this century,” concludes Vasconcelos.

These corridors could become lifelines, allowing the muriquis to move, mate, and adapt as conditions change.

The future for muriquis

Saving the muriquis means saving the forest itself. The Atlantic Forest, once vast, now survives in fragments. Every lost tree weakens what remains.

Yet there is still a chance. With strong conservation, better land protection, and awareness of climate risks, Brazil could protect its treetop giants.

Their calm way of life holds a lesson – balance is fragile. The forest still echoes with their calls, but without quick action, that sound may fade before the century does, taking with it vital species, ancient trees, and the deep connection between wildlife and Brazil’s natural heritage.

Losing the muriquis would mean more than just losing a species; it would mark the collapse of an ecosystem that has sheltered life for thousands of years.

The study is published in the Journal for Nature Conservation.

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