The Black Spider Monkey is an endangered species due to a number of factors, primarily habitat loss and hunting. Habitat loss is predominantly caused by deforestation and agricultural development which have resulted in the destruction or fragmentation of the monkeys’ rainforest homes. Additionally, hunting the monkeys for meat and trading of their body parts has contributed to their decline.
Other factors such as disease, human expansion, and illegal pet trading have also played a role in Black Spider Monkey population decline. It is estimated that there are fewer than 5,000 individuals in the wild with a continual decrease in population numbers.