Hundreds of monkeys died in Mexico due to the heat wave affecting the country.

The animals fall screaming from the trees while most of the victims are babies who cannot withstand the extreme conditions that prevail.

At least 138 medium-sized monkeys have been found dead in the Gulf Coast state of Tabasco since May 16, according to the biodiversity conservation group Usumacinta.

Hundreds of monkeys have died due to extreme heat in the city of Tabasco – Residents are trying to save as many animals as they can. PHOTO/AP

Others were rescued by residents, including five who were rushed to a local vet who fought to save them.

“They arrived in critical condition, with dehydration and fever,” said Dr. Sergio Valenzuela.

The heat wave has killed at least 26 people since March. Also according to veterinarians and rescuers, hundreds of howler monkeys have also died.

About a third of the country saw high temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

The monkey species is up to 90 cm tall with a long tail. They weigh more than 13.5 kg and can live up to 20 years. They have large jaws and a terrifying array of dentition. But mostly they are known for their lion-like roars.

monkey

Vets put ice on their skinny little hands and feet and give them electrolytes.

So far, the monkeys seem to be on the mend. Once indolent and easy to handle, they are now caged in Valenzuela’s office. “They are recovering. They are aggressive … they bite again,” he said, noting that this is a healthy sign

“They fell from the trees like apples,” Pozo said. “They were in a state of severe dehydration and died within minutes.” Already weakened, says Pozo, one of the first to give first aid to the animals.

Pozo attributes the deaths to a “synergy” of factors including high heat, drought, forest fires and logging that deprives the monkeys of water, shade and the fruit they eat, noting that a pathogen, a disease or other factor cannot yet be ruled out.

To people in the steamy, swampy, jungle-covered state of Tabasco, the howler monkey is an iconic species. The locals say that the monkeys tell them the time of day by howling at dawn and dusk.

Pozo said the locals – whom he knows through his work with the Biodiversity Conservation of The Usumacinta – have tried to help the monkeys they see around their farms. But he notes that this could be a double-edged sword.

“The truth is that babies are very sensitive, they can’t be in a house where there are dogs or cats because they have pathogens that can be fatal to howler monkeys,” he said, stressing that they must be rehabilitated. and released into the wild.

Pozo’s team has set up special recovery stations for monkeys – it currently houses five monkeys, but birds and reptiles have also been affected – and is trying to organize a team of specialist vets to give the primates the care they need.

Belatedly, the federal government acknowledged the problem on Monday, with President Andrés Manuel López Obrador saying he had heard about it on social media. He congratulated Valenzuela for his efforts and said the government will try to support the project.

By May 9, at least nine cities in Mexico had set record temperatures, with Ciudad Victoria in the border state of Tamaulipas hitting 47 degrees Celsius (117 F).

With below-average rainfall across most of the country so far this year, lakes and dams are drying up and water supplies are running low. The authorities were forced to drive everything from hospitals to fire brigades into the water. Low levels in hydroelectric dams have contributed to power outages in some parts of the country.