MEXICO CITY ( AP ) — , Heat- related gaffe monkey deaths , have now been reported in two more state in southern Mexico, after two different states reported die- downs earlier this month, environmental officials said.
Later on Tuesday, the Mexican government’s Environment Department announced that three states in the Gulf of Mexico, including Tabasco, Campeche, and Veracruz, have reported animal deaths.
The department also said checks indicated the apes died of heat stroke, but that the land ‘s , present drought , and the “lack of liquid in the streams and spring in the areas where the monkeys live” appeared to also have played a part.
The department did not give the latest estimate on the number of deaths, but earlier said , at least 157 monkeys had perished , since the die- off began in early May.
A wildlife biologist and veterinary technician in Tabasco first identified the deaths two weeks ago. Howler monkeys, mid-sized primates that reside in trees, were figuratively falling to the ground from tree limbs.
The environment department had initially speculated that an unspecified disease or chemical might have caused the deaths, but tests have since rejected that hypothesis.
A relatively small number of monkeys have been saved, treated, and released back into the wild. The four southern states ‘ residents have been advised not to try to adopt or house monkeys because they are wild animals and susceptible to illnesses that cats and dogs carry.
At least a hundred parrots, bats, and other animals have died, according to a report from an animal park in northern Mexico last week, presumably from dehydration.
A heat dome , an area of intense high pressure that spans the southern Gulf of Mexico and northern Central America, has prevented clouds from form and resulted in significant sunshine and hot temperatures all over Mexico.
For much of this month, a large part of the country has seen high temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius ( 113 degrees Fahrenheit ).
The department reported that authorities have begun distributing water to the howler monkeys and operating a mobile veterinary clinic for five adults and seven baby monkeys. Several more have already been released into the wild.
However, it was unclear whether even releasing the howler monkeys could guarantee their survival as heat, fires, and deforestation hit the trees where they reside.
Normally quite intimidating, howler monkeys are muscular and some can be as tall as 90 centimeters ( 3 feet ), with tails just as long. Some males weigh more than 13.5 kilograms ( 30 pounds ) and can live up to 20 years. They come with large jaws and a terrifying set of teeth and fangs. But mostly they’re known for their lion- like roars, which bely their size.
With , below- average rainfall , throughout almost all the country so far this year,  , lakes and dams are drying up, and , water supplies are running out. For everything from hospitals to fire-fighting teams, authorities have been forced to transport people in water. Power outages have occurred in some parts of the country because of low levels at hydroelectric dams.
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