I think we were all relatively sure that primate populations around the globe were somewhat in trouble, but a couple days ago a team of experts stated that almost half of all primate species are in danger or extinction, many of them literally being hunted out of existence.

The study, issued by Conservation International, the IUCN wildlife network, and the International Primatological Society (apparently “primatological” is a word now), has found that 90% of species in Vietnam and Cambodia are in serious danger of extinction, where the problem is the worst. From the article on msnbc.com:

‘We’ve raised concerns for years about primates being in peril, but now we have solid data to show the situation is far more severe than we imagined,’ Russell Mittermeier, president of Conservation International and chairman of the primate specialist group at the IUCN wildlife network, said in a statement announcing the findings.

‘Tropical forest destruction has always been the main cause, but now it appears that hunting is just as serious a threat in some areas, even where the habitat is still quite intact,’ he added. ‘In many places, primates are quite literally being eaten to extinction.’

You can takepart to learn more about primates and their endangeredness from Conservation International.