Independence Day in Brazil.  Happy 200th anniversary of independence from Portugal (September 7, 1822). Very pleased to be in Brazil on this historic day.  Here Brazilian schoolchildren raising the flag at Jofre Velho, in the Pantanal region of southern Mato Grosso state.

Still trying to come to grips with the loss of my longtime friend Gustavo Fonseca.  See here my tribute to him on the IUCN website. iucn.org/news/202209/iu…

So sad to hear of the tragic deaths of world-renowned primatologists Judith Masters and Fabien Genin, who were murdered in their home in South Africa on October 4. news24.com/news24/southaf…

Congratulations to the authors of this description of a new titi monkey species (Cheracebus) from Peruvian Amazonia, very appropriately named after our good friend and pioneer of Peruvian primatology, Rolando Aquino. andina.pe/agencia/notici…

Happy #ReptileAwarenessDay! According to the IUCN Red List, at least 21% of all reptile species globally are threatened with extinction. Today, we celebrate conservation heroes who work to save these often misunderstood cold-blooded vertebrates. Learn more→bit.ly/3z0m313

A nice story in Mongabay on the primate-watching potential in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, with 29 primate species. news.mongabay.com/2022/10/to-sav…

The world depends on the Amazon for our climate, our biodiversity, and our lives. Marina Silva reminds us that Sunday all Brazilians can vote to protect the environment.

The Brazilian state of Mato Grosso is excellent for primate-watching.  With 29 species, including two recently described endemics (Schneider's Mt sharmoset, Mico schneideri) and the Mato Grosso Titi Monkey (Plecturocebus grovesi), it should be high on your list to visit

A comprehensive new book on the Natural History of Primates has just come out.  Dedicated to the late Robert Sussman, it covers a wide range of topics and is highly recommended. rowman.com/ISBN/978144224…

Lula won!!! What a relief for Brazil, for Amazonia, and for the world. It was close, but we’ll take it. Looking forward to a very positive and productive next four years.

Interesting piece on the search for isolated Muriquis (Brachyteles) in Brazil's Atlantic forest: oeco.org.br/reportagens/re…

So sad to hear of the loss of Pele, greatest athlete of the 20th century and the greatest footballer ever. I always wanted to meet him, but sadly never did. But I did see him play live, Santos vs São Paulo, in 1971

See our new article on the importance of national species action plans, based on a range of plans produced in Brazil between 2004 and 2019. sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

Very pleased to see my namesake, Mittermeier's saki monkey (Pithecia mittermeieri), at Pousada Jardim da Amazonia, 300 km north of Cuiaba in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso #Matogrosso  #jardimdaamazonia  #sakimonkey

So sad to hear of the loss of my dear friend Kathy Mackinnon, one of the great conservation leaders of the past four decades. My condolences to her family, and her many friends and admirers around the world. iucn.org/story/202303/m…

adorable!

Our latest primate field guide on Neotropical Primates is out. One of the coauthors, Leandro Jerusalinsky, presents copies to Brazil's Minister of Environment Marina Silva, the Executive Secretary João Paulo  Capobianco, and the President of ICMBio Mauro Pires (Leandro Siqueira.primata)