NABR Questions IUCN's Long-tailed Macaque Population Assessment

A recent article in the American Journal of Primatology challenges the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) assessment of long-tailed macaque populations. The article argues that the IUCN's methodology significantly underestimates the global population of the species due to flawed assumptions about habitat and density. This criticism was endorsed by the National Association for Biomedical Research (NABR), which previously contested the IUCN's "endangered" status for these macaques.

Long-tailed macaques are integral to biomedical research, contributing significantly to advances in various medical fields, including vaccine development. NABR president Matthew R. Bailey emphasizes the need for an impartial reassessment of the macaques' status to support ongoing research efforts. The importance of these primates in scientific studies underscores the need to revisit conservation statuses that impact research availability and resources.