New monkey on our backs

Scientists have identified a new species of primate living in the forests of central Myanmar. The Popa langur - named after an extinct volcano home to its largest population, some 100 tree-dwellers with a shock of unruly grey hair - has been around for at least a million years, according to a study in Zoological Research published yesterday. But with only 200 to 250 left in the wild, experts will recommend that the leaf-eating species be classified as "critically endangered". The monkey is threatened by "hunting, habitat loss... and illegal or unsustainable timber extraction", the study found.