Peruvian Night Monkey, Aotus miconax • They are extremely rare and endangered. • I’ve been making my way NE in Peru in order to meet up with the Neotropical Primate Conservation organization (NPC) • There was a paper published a few years ago titled the “Role of non-governmental organizations in combating illegal wildlife–pet trade in Peru” in the Journal of Nature Conservation. • The NPC received the highest ranking (along with the Amazon Shelter) out of 28 NGOs, and were therefore one of the highest priorities for me to visit. • This excruciatingly adorable monkey is endemic to a small area in Peru (nowhere else on the planet). • As with many night monkeys, this one was caught from a nearby forest and kept tied up as a pet. • The nocturnal nature of night monkeys makes them easy to catch, also they are able to survive in fragmented forests, therefore are easier to find near houses and villages. • Although easy to catch they are not particularly easy to keep, their diet is a mix of fruit, leaves insects and buds, but most owners will only feed them scraps and maybe fruits, meaning their diets lack protein and they eventually get sick and die. • The NPC was notified and came in to help relocate the night monkey (they’re also called “owl monkeys”) to a more suitable habitat. Sadly, it was kept as a pet for so long that it couldn’t be released. • The illegal trade in wild animals for pets is a global conservation and animal-welfare concern. Please don’t buy them and report what you see to authorities. • Read more about the NPC’s work at neoprimate.org They are constantly rescuing wildlife. • Photo by Carolina Ortega . #nightmonkey #aotusmiconax #aotus #illegalwildlifetrade #neotropicalprimateconservation #peru #owlmonkey #wildlifecharity #wildliferescue #natureconservation #neotropics #wearealltrulywild https://www.instagram.com/p/B3KOQXGhBO7/?igshid=10eaeh8pt07t9