Authorities in Mexico stated on Monday that they were looking into whether the intense heat was causing the endangered howler monkeys to perish.
The environment ministry states that “heat stroke, dehydration, malnutrition, or fumigation of crops with pesticides” are among the issues being investigated.
It stated that research would be done to rule out any illness or virus.
In the southern states of Chiapas and Tabasco, where the deaths have been reported, temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) have been recorded.
While the government did not say how many primates had perished, Tabasco-based wildlife preservation group COBIUS reported “mass deaths.”
“It’s very likely due to climatic reasons but we cannot rule out other important causes,” it said in a statement.
“If you see monkeys that are weak and apparently suffering from heat or dehydration, please try to hoist a bucket of water by rope for them to drink,” it added.
The probable reason, as indicated by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a native of Tabasco, is intense heat.
“There is a lot of heat. I’ve never felt it as strongly as I do now that I’ve been touring these states “At his routine press conference, he stated.
According to the Tabasco Civil Protection Institute, authorities and environmentalists were conducting patrols to give water and food, primarily fruits, to help monkeys stay hydrated.
