Unfortunately, during the last several years, the list of endangered creatures has become wider than ever. However, given current trends, a wildlife species assumed to be extinct has miraculously returned to life. The bald-faced saki of Vanzolini.
The saki monkey is a South American monkey species that is found mostly in the Amazonian jungle. The Vanzolini bald-faced saki are the most elusive of them all. In fact, the species, which was initially discovered in the 1930s, was considered to be extinct after eight decades of no sightings.
The bashful creature, with its shaggy hair and golden legs, was discovered alive during a recent trip. Given the real animal and environmental sensitivity of the place, this is a fantastic find. The mission was led by Laura Marsh, the head of the Global Conservation Institute. She told National Geographic, “It was great.” “I couldn’t snap a photo since I was shaking and thrilled.”
The Vanzolini sakis was originally spotted in the 1930s, and its initial record dates from 1936, when Alfonso Ollala’s notebook described the unusual monkey as having a long fluffy tail and golden hair species.
Marsh’s team was able to trace the elusive monkeys in a remote part of the tropical jungle near the Brazilian-Peruvian border. Despite the fact that their environment appears to be unaffected by people, Laura Marsh is concerned about the species’ survival. “It’s not ideal for the conservation of Vanzolini populations if it merely stays at this level of effect right now,” she said in a research published in the journal Oryx.
The Vanzolini sakis, thankfully, aren’t the first species to be proclaimed extinct and subsequently rediscovered. Wildlife scientists have verified the sightings of some previously thought-to-be-extinct creatures. The Formosan clouded leopard, Baiji dolphin, Pinta tortoise, and Caribbean monk seal are among them.
h/t: NationalGeographic