Spider Monkeys of the Maya jungle

Secrets of the Mayan Spider Monkeys is a journey through time, myth, and the treetops — a visually stunning wildlife film about survival, adaptation, and the enduring mysteries of the wild.

Set in the lush jungles of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, beneath the ruins of the ancient Mayan civilisation, the film follows a young female black-handed spider monkey as she leaves her birth group in search of a new family.

Through her journey, we enter the monkeys’ extraordinary world, discovering their complex social lives, remarkable intelligence, prehensile tails, and vital role as the “gardeners of the jungle.” She must navigate a demanding social hierarchy while facing predators, disease, and the threat of infanticide.

After a perilous journey, she is finally accepted into a new troop, finds a mate, and gives birth — continuing an ancient cycle of life high above the lost cities of the Maya.

Interwoven with Mayan mythology and archaeological insight, the film explores the powerful connection between a vanished civilisation and a species still fighting to survive. Once revered as sacred beings and now endangered, the spider monkeys are living witnesses to the resilience and fragility of the rainforest.

As the camera rises above the emerald canopy, one question remains: will these extraordinary creatures survive humanity’s next chapter, or will their secrets once again disappear into the jungle?