The human–primate interface in the New Normal: Challenges and opportunities for primatologists in the COVID‐19 era and beyond

Abstract

The emergence of SARS‐CoV‐2 in late 2019 and human responses to the resulting COVID‐19 pandemic in early 2020 have rapidly changed many aspects of human behavior, including our interactions with wildlife. In this commentary, we identify challenges and opportunities at human–primate interfaces in light of COVID‐19, focusing on examples from Asia, and make recommendations for researchers working with wild primates to reduce zoonosis risk and leverage research opportunities. First, we briefly review the evidence for zoonotic origins of SARS‐CoV‐2 and discuss risks of zoonosis at the human–primate interface. We then identify challenges that the pandemic has caused for primates, including reduced nutrition, increased intraspecific competition, and increased poaching risk, as well as challenges facing primatologists, including lost research opportunities. Subsequently, we highlight opportunities arising from pandemic‐related lockdowns and public health messaging, including opportunities to reduce the intensity of problematic human–primate interfaces, opportunities to reduce the risk of zoonosis between humans and primates, opportunities to reduce legal and illegal trade in primates, new opportunities for research on human–primate interfaces, and opportunities for community education. Finally, we recommend specific actions that primatologists should take to reduce contact and aggression between humans and primates, to reduce demand for primates as pets, to reduce risks of zoonosis in the context of field research, and to improve understanding of human–primate interfaces. Reducing the risk of zoonosis and promoting the well‐being of humans and primates at our interfaces will require substantial changes from “business as usual.” We encourage primatologists to help lead the way.

Current and future trends in socio-economic, demographic and governance factors affecting global primate conservation

“…COVID-19 is expected to overwhelm civil society, increase food insecurity, and devastate the healthcare systems and livelihoods of millions of citizens who work in the informal agricultural and nonagricultural sectors of the economy across the globe ( GNAFC/FSIN, 2020 ). The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the disruption of local and global food chains and this may result in scarcities of food and higher prices ( Torero-Cullen, 2020 ), which in turn may lead to increased hunting of bushmeat and an expansion of wildlife trade in many primate range nations ( Lappin et al, 2020 ).…”

“…The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the disruption of local and global food chains and this may result in scarcities of food and higher prices (Torero-Cullen, 2020), which in turn may lead to increased hunting of bushmeat and an expansion of wildlife trade in many primate range nations (Lappin et al, 2020). Clearly, primate-range countries must develop a more balanced set of national priorities to build their internal economies in order to ensure food security for their growing human populations.…”

“…This has resulted in the widespread loss of primate habitats in order to expand agricultural and cattle production, and the extraction of natural resources (e.g., minerals, oil, wood) to feed and sustain a growing global human population (now ca 8 billion set to approach ca 10 billion by 2050; ) and a rapidly expanding global middle-class diet that emphasizes greater meat consumption ( UNGEF, 2019 ). Hunting for bushmeat, the illegal primate trade, infectious disease transmission among humans-domesticated animals-wild animals, and the spread of invasive species constitute important additional pressures that negatively impact primate populations ( IUCN Red List, 2019 ; Estrada et al, 2017 ; Lappin et al, 2020 ).…”

Molecular Basis of Pathogenesis of Coronaviruses: A Comparative Genomics Approach to Planetary Health to Prevent Zoonotic Outbreaks in the 21st Century

“…Education about the risks, unsafe practices, and biosafety protocols associated with the primates interaction must be communicated to the people for reducing the aggression between them (Gilardi et al, 2015;Muehlenbein and Wallis, 2014). More research should be directed toward reducing the exposure of zoonotic pathogens by devising the biosafety protocols and, finally, more funding is required in this field of study if we want to reduce the global risk of zoonotic infections emerging from human-primate interfaces in the future (Lappan et al, 2020).…”

Tropical peatlands and their conservation are important in the context of COVID-19 and potential future (zoonotic) disease pandemics

“…Research on great apes and other primates is also at high risk of disruption, as measures are put in place to prevent reverse zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2, given the perceived vulnerability of these species (Damas et al, 2020;Gillespie et al, 2020;IUCN SSC WHSG & PSG SGA, 2020;Melin et al, 2020). This has led some to question whether all primate field research should be cancelled for 2020 (Reid, 2020), with others highlighting the potential negative impacts of such a move and the potential primate conservation and research opportunities that may arise from the pandemic (Lappan et al, 2020;Trivedy, 2020). Ultimately, the risks of any research in relation to the COVID-19 threat will need to be carefully balanced against the counter-risks of not conducting or restricting research in terms of addressing other important conservation and community wellbeing issues.…”