Two white howler monkeys with leucism found, a sample of the isolated wildlife that survives in the Cerro Blanco Protected Forest

Of the monos aulladores (Alouatta palliata) whites with leucism baptized as Albita and Japu were recorded last October and November in the Cerro Blanco Protected Forest, a private protected area managed by the Pro Bosque Foundation that extends to the northwest of Guayaquil.

This is the first find of its kind. “To our knowledge and literature review, it is the first record of leucism in this species worldwide in wildlife. There have been other reports of different colorations in Mexico, but they have not been diagnosed as leucism,” says Cristian Barros, a biologist at the Japu Conservation and Research Foundation, a non-governmental organization that focuses its conservation studies on Ecuador’s coastal ecosystems.

The discovery of these individuals, who have chromatic disorders, represents a sign of the low levels of conservation in the almost extinct tropical dry forest of the Ecuadorian coastBarros specifies. “This is because it is a symptom of genetic impoverishment caused by inbreeding (mating between close relatives), because the howler monkey populations of the Cerro Blanco Protected Forest have lost connectivity with other populations”.

The existence of chromatic aberrations such as leucism or albinism is the result of inbreeding in isolated populations of local wildlife and is associated with stressful environmental factors, indicates a scientific article on the discovery of the two monkeys that is under review entitled as First record of leucism in golden-mantled howler monkeys.

“This anomaly can reduce survival rates. There are cases of leucism in wildlife, but in general, it is considered very rare…Immediate management strategies should be considered to significantly increase connectivity with other howler monkey populations”, the document stresses.

The study also highlights that this private protected area, located in the province of Guayas, has lost a forest cover of approximately 29 hectares between 2000 and 2020, based on an analysis of satellite images that includes the tree cover of trees that measure five meters or more.

“The Cerro Blanco Protected Forest is under strong pressure due to the constant growth of the city of Guayaquil in its surroundings, hunting, agriculture and livestock, causing the isolation of the rest of the Chongón-Colonche mountain range. It is very likely that this causes a break in the genetic flow of its fauna”, indicates the research.

Leucism is controlled by six genes. These “leucistic animals present partial or total loss of pigmentation in the skin or fur, but maintain a normal coloration in the eyes or claws,” he adds.

There are species that have been almost lost due to the destruction of the native forest and the excessive pressure of human activities, such as the jaguar (panthera goose), which is listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ in the Coast region.

“It hasn’t been reported (in this part of the country) officially for about a decade. But we do not lose hope that it is still inhabiting the forest and its population could reestablish itself if we improve the connectivity between forests”, explains Barros.

The sighting of the two white howler monkeys was made while the ‘Cerro Blanco Protected Forest Biodiversity Study for the Environmental Restoration Project’ was being carried out under the auspices of the Guayaquil Airport Authority (AAG).

Julián Pérez Correa, executive director of Japu, assures that the finding evidences the urgency of connecting Cerro Blanco with the rest of the native ecosystem that remains in the Chongón-Colonche mountain range, in order to preserve the species.

Various studies show that there is a loss of between 70 and 90% of the original tropical dry forest, leaving fragments that function as small “islands” where organisms that depend on areas in good condition are concentrated. “Finding these leucistic howler monkeys has many conservation implications.”

But there are also more questions to answer. “For example, What other species may present symptoms of genetic impoverishment? Could the forest lose its ecological functionality in the medium or long term?”.

The loss of functionality, says Pérez, would imply having a dead forest. “It is time to change the conservation paradigm. We no longer have to just protect Cerro Blanco, we have to connect it”, he assures.

The increase in the agricultural frontier, urban expansion and shrimp farms decimated the area of ​​tropical dry forest, which today extends fragmented in the provinces of Manabí, Guayas, Santa Elena, El Oro and Loja.

There are factors that can increase the rate of leucism, such as environmental pressures, deforestation, pollution, and dietary deficiencies. (I)