Assessment of IUCN Red Listed Barbary macaque population health and numbers following multiple natural disasters within Morocco

Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) are one of world's most endangered primates. Their numbers are declining e due to habitat loss, and in 2023, Morocco (the country in which most Barbary macaques are found) experienced a series of natural disasters that has drastically reduced the ecological range of these monkeys. There is an urgent need to fully understand the conservation implications of these disasters.

Therefore, we propose to (i) quantify Barbary macaque numbers in key national parks within Morocco, and (ii) determine the health status and viability of these populations. This is information is urgently needed for a report for L'Agence National des Eaux et Forets (ANEF) and related bodies within the Moroccan government to highlight the threats and potential resilience.

As of 11th October, Morocco's ANEF reported 395 forest fires since January, destroying 6,420 hectares of forest2. This follows an even more devastating period of forest fires in 2022 during which 22,800 hectare of forest was lost. Climate change saw Morocco record the highest ever summer temperatures (50.4 C) in 2023, which increased the numbers of naturally occurring fires, on top of forest fires that may be attributable to human action.

In addition, on 8th September 2023, a massive earthquake struck the Marrakesh-Safi region, which includes the Toubkal National Park, inhabited by one of the more isolated Barbary macaque populations within Morocco. The International Union for Conservation recently upgraded the threat status of Barbary macaques following decades of decline. The chief threat to Barbary macaques is habitat loss and fragmentation, which has led to many Barbary macaque populations across Morocco and Algeria becoming isolated with concerns about genetic diversity and long-term population sustainability.

These issues have been exacerbated by recent forest fires and earthquake. The research team (details below) are contributing to Morocco's "National Action Plan for the Conservation of the Barbary Macaque in Morocco", with the government seeing the proposed project is an urgent research priority. We request funding for a 6-month study involving three months of field work and three months of analysis to hire a research assistant, Moroccan field assistants, and to purchase the field and laboratory equipment to deliver two key project objectives.