The northern muriqui Brachyteles hypoxanthus is a treetop-dwelling primate, endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, with a total of c. 1,000 individuals distributed in 12 small and isolated forest remnants. Most of the remaining populations are probably not viable in the long term without reintroduction or translocation of individuals and improvements in habitat connectivity.
Since 2014, the Save The Muriqui Project led by the Brazilian NGO Rede Eco-Diversa has been protecting the northern muriqui in Caparaó National Park, south-east Brazil. Previously unknown muriqui groups have been discovered in the Park (Kaizer et al., 2016, Oryx, 50, 201), where nearly 300 muriquis survive. Despite being protected, the northern muriqui there suffers from the effects of fragmentation and the expansion of agriculture outside the Park, both of which hinder the dispersal of females between social groups. However, because of its location the Park may be of critical importance for creating connectivity among the five priority areas for the long-term conservation of this muriqui.
On 28–30 September 2023, Rede Eco-Diversa facilitated a second workshop for the Brigadeiro-Caparaó ecological corridor, a pioneering initiative to encourage connectivity between the Caparaó National Park and the Serra do Brigadeiro State Park. The workshop brought together key stakeholders, including government environmental institutions, managers of the two parks, biologists, geologists, tourism experts, local people and species specialists. On the first two days there were seven plenary talks and two round-table discussions, open to local stakeholders and the general public. The third day was a closed session for key stakeholders, in which the proposed design of the ecological corridor for the species was presented.
The proposed corridor is based on least-cost path analysis, considering land use, topography, conservation areas and remnant forest fragment sizes between the two Parks. Implementation of the corridor is a long-term challenge. The next steps will include legal recognition of the ecological corridor and working with local communities and other stakeholders to design flexible management strategies to improve forest connectivity whilst also providing opportunities for socio-economic activity and improving local well-being.
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