Wanderlust World Wanderlust World All three uakari species (Cacajao calvus, C. melanocephalus, C. hosomi) inhabit a specific slice of the Amazon: the northwestern Brazilian Amazon, primarily in the states of Amazonas and Acre.
They're flooded forest (igapó) specialists—seasonally inundated blackwater forests where they forage in the canopy during high water. Some populations also use várzea (whitewater floodplains, less frequent flooding) and terra firme (non-flooded) forests, but igapó is core habitat.
This narrow ecological niche makes uakaris vulnerable. Deforestation, hydroelectric dams altering flood cycles, and hunting threaten them. The Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve protects critical habitat for the bald uakari.
Seeing a troop of bright-red-faced uakaris leaping through flooded canopy is a singular Amazon experience—one tied to a fragile, watery world.