By Sharon Begley
Of the 634 known primate species and subspecies, 303—48 percent—are at risk of extinction, according to a new analysis from the International Primatological Society Congress. Of those, 97 species and subspecies are vulnerable, 137 are endangered and 69 are critically endangered, meaning they are on the brink of vanishing forever in the wild. "Tropical forest destruction has always been the main cause, but now it appears that hunting is just as serious a threat in some areas," said Russell Mittermeier, of Conservation International. "In many places, primates are quite literally being eaten to extinction."
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