Honduras Hosts XIII Mesoamerican Primates Symposium

To support this initiative, the country offered to host the 1st Seminar-Workshop: Methods for the Study and Conservation of Mesoamerican Primates. The event was held virtually on November 3rd and 4th, with the voluntary participation of primatologists from Central and South America, such as Juan Carlos Serio Silva from INECOL, Mexico; Sam Shanee from Primate Conservation in the UK and Peru (PCP); Sebastián García and Sebastián Bustamante from Colombia; Leandro Jerusalisky from the Latin American Primatology Society (SLAPrim); Pamela Cabrera from Paraguay; Daniela Solano-Rojas from Costa Rica; and Luz Loría from FCPP, Panama. Relevant topics for Latin American primatology were addressed, including: managing non-human primates in enclosures, the problem of illegal monkey trafficking, gastrointestinal parasitology in howler monkeys, studies on the population density of Panama's titi monkeys, research on nocturnal monkeys and their existence in peri-urban areas of Colombia, behavioral studies on some primates in the wild, studies on the diet of howler monkeys, taxonomy studies on capuchin monkeys, studies on the distribution of monkeys in Honduras, and many other topics. In general, the symposium was interesting because it allowed for a close observation of the scientific effort dedicated to understanding and protecting Mesoamerican primates, the coordinator of GIT-Primates Meso added. She emphasized the importance of Honduras's participation in this edition, as it had never before been possible to hold a primate symposium in the country, and its participation would have been fleeting. Lineth states that the Mesoamerican Primates Symposium was a great experience due to the diversity of presentations and the quality of the speakers; each participant addressed relevant topics within the field of primatology. The event was made possible through the coordination of the Panamanian Karol Gutiérrez-Pineda and the Hondurans David Meza from the Primates of Honduras Project (PPH) and Professor Alex Vallejos from the Institute for Biological and Environmental Research of Honduras (IBIOAH). Regarding topics in population ecology, primate detection and counting methods (theory and field), Professor Pedro Méndez-Carvajal from FCPP was in charge, while behavioral study methods and field practices were led by neuroethology master Karol Gutiérrez-Pineda, who was responsible for the scientific method, inferential and non-inferential statistical analysis, planning of scientific projects, and planning of conservation projects. Topics covering how to form a Seed Research Group for Primatology, as well as experiences and anecdotes in primate conservation, were also covered. The Pro-Conservation of the Panamanian Primates Foundation (FCPP) together with the Thematic Interest Group of Mesoamerican Primates (GIT Primates Meso) of the Mesoamerican Society for Biology and Conservation (SMBC), celebrated the XIII Mesoamerican Primates Symposium on November 5th at the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH) in San Pedro Sula, with a total of 15 presentations and the participation of 7 countries including Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Paraguay, among other invited guests. Throughout the workshop, we worked in teams to develop different activities and presentations, fostering communication and the exchange of ideas among colleagues, said Torres. Arrocha, for his part, stated: "At the symposium, I had the pleasure of meeting professionals and students committed to tropical research, especially Professor Alex, who was tremendous support throughout this trip, bringing smiles, inspiring, and leaving a part of his knowledge in each of us, both at the symposium and in the course." Of course, the views, the place, the food, and the mosquitoes were unique experiences, and leaving there with friends and fun memories makes it unforgettable." This seminar combined theoretical activities with field practices, allowing us to apply the acquired knowledge in a natural environment. This course allowed 14 participants to learn about primatology for the first time, among them two Panamanian students from the University of Panama, Lineth Torres and Catherine Arrocha from GIP-UP. In these works, the foundations of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and its criteria for evaluating the conservation status of primates were laid. The post-symposium course was successfully held on November 3rd and 4th (virtual) and its continuation in the field from November 6th to 8th (in-person) at the Barras Cuero y Salado Wildlife Refuge, in the Department of Atlántida, Honduras. Today, Honduras has shown a strong interest in actively participating in regional primatology studies and contributing its science to the conservation of the taxa of Honduras and Mesoamerica. He continues: "we had to create one more project, so my group: Michelle, Valeria, Walter, and myself, with all the support we received, and a sleepless night, built our winning project. The most gratifying thing was not the prize, but seeing how admirable my colleagues looked working on their own and presenting such elaborate projects that you couldn't tell we did it overnight, and it was surprising to see how something so small, with a lot of effort, can yield great results." "One of the topics that caught my attention was the presentation related to spider monkeys and the presence of microplastics in their organisms." "It was a wonderful experience."