Mexico experiences severe heat wave as monkeys fall from trees.
In the Mexican state of Tabasco, the temperature is predicted to exceed 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) this week, and local media reports indicate as many as 85 deaths have occurred due to the intense heat. Local officials, however, have not specified a number.
This past weekend, Tabasco's Civil Protection agency declared that the cause of these deaths was dehydration. A representative from the agency confirmed to Reuters that mantled howler monkeys have been found dead in three municipalities of the state.
In an attempt to save more of these animals, volunteers went to a forest outside Camalcalco, Tabasco, where they collected the corpses of dead mantled howler monkeys. They also put out buckets of water and fruit to try to prevent additional deaths.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List classifies the mantled howler monkey as a "vulnerable" species.
During a press conference on Monday, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a native of Tabasco, commented on the monkey deaths. "The heat is so strong. I've been visiting the states for a long time and I've never felt it like this before," he said. "Yes, we need to take care of the animals, and yes, we'll do it."
On the same day, Mexico's environment ministry issued a statement saying it was working to address the monkey deaths. They identified several potential causes, including "heat stroke, dehydration, malnutrition, or the spraying of crops with toxic agro-chemicals."
For several weeks now, Mexico has been dealing with dangerously high temperatures that have resulted in multiple fatalities. Mexico's health ministry released a preliminary count of 26 heat-related deaths between the start of the country's heat season on March 17 and May 11.
The extreme heat is believed to be the result of a combination of human-induced climate change and the natural climate pattern of El Niño, which impacts global weather.
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The extreme heat in Mexico, contributing to both human and animal casualties, has been linked to a blend of human-induced climate change and the natural climate pattern of El Niño. correspondingly, international efforts are needed to mitigate the effects of global warming on the world's climate.
Source: edition.cnn.com
