Description:
Monkeys are diverse and highly adaptable primates found in various habitats across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Old World monkeys, native to Africa and Asia, typically lack prehensile tails and have more varied social structures than their New World counterparts. They are social animals, often living in troops with complex hierarchies and communication systems. Two species of monkey – the Tana River red colobus and the Niger Delta red colobus monkey – are a focus of Tusk-supported projects.
Monkey Red Capped Mangabey
Key facts
Population:
Tana River red colobus population is estimated at 1,100-1,300
The Niger Delta red colobus may number fewer than 500
Diet:
Their diet is almost exclusively made up of leaves supplemented with the occasional fruit, moss and seeds. Because of the low nutritional quality of their diet, they spend a lot of their time browsing and eat 2-3kg of leaves a day.
Habitat:
While monkeys are mostly arboreal and occupy a range of forest habitats, both species of red colobus typically live in marsh forest in wetland areas and long key watercourses.
Range:
The Tana River Red Colobus is limited to a very small area made up of fragmented patches of forest along the banks of the lower Tana River in Kenya. The range of the Niger Delta red colobus is likewise restricted to its eponymous delta region in Nigeria.
Mona monkey Cercopan
Tai National Park
Threats
Monkeys are widely threatened by habitat loss and degradation, as well as by hunting for their meat.
Conservation
Around 40% of the Tana River red colobus population is found in the Tana River Primate Reserve where it is monitored and the habitat is protected. Tusk’s longstanding partner the Northern Rangelands Trust supports the Ndara Conservancy which is spearheading community conservation efforts in the Tana River area. The SW/Niger Delta Forest Project protects the Niger Delta red colobus and other important primate species by supporting law enforcement efforts and engaging local communities.
Learn more about the projects
Monkeys are widely threatened by habitat loss and degradation, as well as by hunting for their meat.
Conservation
Around 40% of the Tana River red colobus population is found in the Tana River Primate Reserve where it is monitored and the habitat is protected. Tusk’s longstanding partner the Northern Rangelands Trust supports the Ndara Conservancy which is spearheading community conservation efforts in the Tana River area. The SW/Niger Delta Forest Project protects the Niger Delta red colobus and other important primate species by supporting law enforcement efforts and engaging local communities.