of howler monkeys inhabit the jungles and rainforests of Central and South America. Of these, the black howler, Alouatta pigra, is the most threatened. Found only in Belize, Guatemala and southern Mexico, the monkeys’ limited range makes them particularly sensitive to habitat disturbances. Yet while logging, hunting and slash-and-burn agricultural practices have decimated the black howler population throughout much of Guatemala and Mexico, the animals are still a common sight in and around the small village of Bermudian Landing. Located in central Belize, this village of approximately 250 people consists of a tiny grocery store, an open air restaurant with a thatched roof, a schoolhouse, a one room museum and the local hangout — Dee’s Cool Spot. Cattle wander across unfenced fields, and most residents live in high houses built on stilts 5 or 6 feet above the ground. It hardly seems like a mecca for tourists, but as one of nine villages involved with the Community Baboon Sanctuary, Bermudian Landing attracted more than 5,000 visitors last year. Established in 1985, this voluntary grassroots conservation program blends wildlife management, eco-tourism and sustainable agriculture practices to balance the needs of the howlers with those of the local villagers. After the tourists take their fill of photographs, Fallet leads them back to the sanctuary’s headquarters — a small museum near the center of the village. The museum, with its peeling green paint and corrugated metal roof, was the first to be established in Belize. Laminated posters cover the walls, identifying the common plants and animals of the region, and a howler skeleton stands in a glass case directly across from the entrance. Although the local Creole population refers to the howlers as "baboons," they shouldn’t be confused with the African primate of the same name. These monkeys typically weigh between 15 and 20 pounds and congregate in troops ranging in size from two to 12 members. Their infants, despite the name "black howlers," are actually brown. Longer black hair doesn’t begin to grow until they are three months old. Believed to be the loudest monkey in the world, the howler’s trademark roar can be heard more than a mile away and is often mistaken for the roar of a jaguar. This howl announces a troop’s position in the jungle and prevents territorial disputes. Yet territories overlap somewhat, so it is necessary for the monkeys to alert other troops of their location so they can avoid physical battles. Territories can range from 3 acres up to 25 acres, depending on the availability of food. The troop of six howlers near the museum has lived on 4 acres for the past 10 years. Unlike many mammals in Belize’s rainforests, the monkeys are not nocturnal. They actively search for food during the early morning and late evening hours, when the temperature is cool. During the hottest part of the day, the howlers stretch out on tree limbs and relax in the shade. They’ve developed a reputation for laziness among locals because they often spend up to 70 percent of the day resting. photograph of himself and Dr. Robert Horwich, the American primatologist who initiated the conservation project. "See, look there, I’m famous," he says with a laugh. As the man responsible for introducing Horwich to the other villagers, Fallet appears in most of the photos featured in the museum; he considers himself the local founder and with good reason. Without his intervention, Horwich would have struggled to gain the confidence of the locals. Born and raised in Bermudian Landing, Fallet was working as the manager of a lumber operation in 1981 when he first met Horwich. "One day, coming home from work, I saw this white man on my land," Fallet says in a lilting Creole accent. "He approach me and he ask, ‘Is this your land?’ And I said, ‘Very sure, sir.’ So he said, ‘I’m looking to find some monkeys. I want to study the monkeys.’" Fallet gestures toward a map on the museum wall. The black and white diagram indicates the boundaries of every plot of land in the village, each section labeled with the name of the man who owns it. "I told him these are all privately owned lands, and you got to be careful where you are wandering. With me it is all right, but another landowner, seeing a white man on their land and not knowing what they are doing, it’s quite possible you’d get a 16-gauge bullet." Fallet introduced Horwich to the local villagers and helped him obtain permission to conduct his research. As vegetarian tree-dwellers, the howlers eat primarily young leaves, fruits and flowers. The roseapple blossom (center) is one of their favorites. Because howlers seldom descend from the trees to drink, most of their water is supplied by the foliage they eat. After three years of studying howler troops in the region, Horwich again approached Fallet, this time with the idea of creating a sanctuary to protect them. They enlisted the assistance of Jon Lyon, a plant ecologist, and spoke to the village council of Bermudian Landing to explain how the monkeys could bring economic benefits to the community. Tourists who wished to see the howlers would pay for tours, bed and breakfast accommodations and services such as horseback riding and guided canoe trips. When the presentation was over, all seven village council members and 11 of the 16 landowners agreed to give the sanctuary a try. Fallet helped Horwich and Lyon create both the conservation plan and the pledge that villagers must sign before becoming official members of the sanctuary. The pledge isn’t legally binding, and there are no penalties for withdrawing support for the project. But individuals who refuse to abide by the requirements aren’t eligible to receive any funds generated by the museum. Most of the money earned from giving tours is spread among all nine villages. When a landowner dies, the sanctuary offers a small donation to his family. If a village resident needs to travel to Belize City for medical care, the sanctuary may help cover the cost of transportation. When the Community Baboon Sanctuary was first established, it was the only program in the world that relied entirely on voluntary cooperation. The Belize government approved of the project but supplied no financial or organizational assistance. This situation contrasts markedly to what often occurs throughout the rest of the country. Although more than one-third of Belize is under environmental protection of one kind or another — parks, wildlife sanctuaries, nature reserves — the government has very little money to manage these lands. One underpaid warden may be solely responsible for enforcing environmental regulations within a large area. Locals often disobey these rules simply because they don’t fully understand the damage traditional hunting and farming methods can cause. Animals are severely over hunted, and slash-and-burn agriculture destroys hundreds of acres of forest and jungle each year.