Undeterred, Ruizs team devised an ambitious new experiment: This spring, they would start vaccinating many of the remaining wild monkeys.
Enter the coronavirus, which is now hampering critical work to protect threatened species and habitats worldwide.
We are worried about missing the window of opportunity to save the species, said Ruiz, the president of the nonprofit Golden Lion Tamarin Association.
Tropical forests are rich in biodiversity, so were losing rare flora and fauna, said Jeremy Radachowsky, director for Mesoamerica at the nonprofit Wildlife Conservation Society.
In many African countries, wildlife tourism provides significant income to maintain parks where vulnerable species such as elephants, lions, rhinos and giraffes live.