First of all I would like to say a big thank you to Muriel T for our first ever donation on wildlife direct! With over 150 primates in captivity between Calabar and Rhoko searching for funds is a constant battle and every donation really is so appreciated.

Things have been rather hectic this week as I spent several days in Rhoko monitoring the progress of our work there. I absolutely love visiting the forest, it definitely beats sitting at a computer or accounting, unfortunately I can never manage to find the time to go as often as I would like. One of the highlights of this trip was visiting our release monkeys Bebe, Nko and July. On 1st November this year we released this family group into the community forest of our host community Iko Esai. July the 7 year old male is the leader of the group and protects the others from any potential threats. Bebe is only three and spends most of her time following the adults. My favourite however is Nko, she is 12 years old and probably one of the most intelligent monkeys that has ever passed through the gates of CERCOPAN (as evidenced not only by her own ability to find a way to escape from any cage, but also to train others in her craft).

Nko resting on a branch

This was my first trip to see the group since the release and I could not wait to find out how they were doing in their new forest home. Before leaving base camp, I contacted Sylvain on the radio to determine their location. Sylvain our Mona monkey project officer and three research assistants (Etan, Usor and Ayitu) follow the monkeys daily from dawn to dusk using radio telemetry, so it is always easy to find out where they are. Richard offered to accompany me, explaining that he had been too busy to visit the monas for a few days. Personally, I think he just didn’t want me heading out alone as he knows very well that I am still not all that familiar with the grid system they used to navigate the site!

After walking for about 30 minutes, I heard monkeys calling and branches rustling. No matter how many times I come across primates in the wild, the experience never loses its magic. My heart pounds, the excitement rises and whatever else I had planned goes completely out of my head. On this occasion, I had discovered a group of putty nose and red eared guenons. I work with these animals every day, but this was my first ever encounter with them in the wild and it truly was amazing. Thankfully after some good views of the group we lost them, had we not, I very much doubt that anything else would have been achieved that day.

Not long after my wild monkey encounter I heard the call of a mona and seconds later saw July leap between branches. I had actually expected the monkeys to look a little thinner and more dishevelled after their first few weeks of adapting to life in the wild. I was therefore understandably shocked to see July, looking sleek, muscular and extremely healthy. He looked every bit the wild dominant male as I watched him lead the group in their search for food. Nko and Bebe were also looking very fit, although I did notice, from the small sores, that Bebe had been attacked by Timbu fly. It is astounding how quickly they have managed to adapt their behaviour to fit their new surroundings, although with Nko in the group I should never have expected anything less.

July and Nko together in canopy

I observed the group quietly for some time while Sylvain continued with his behavioural data collection. The data the Mona team are collecting not only allows us to monitor the progress of the group, but also provides valuable information on primate behaviour, captive management and the reintroduction process. For example, our discovery that the monkeys are currently spending a very high proportion of their time foraging on insects could be a product of the season, but it could also mean that we need to start supplementing our captive monas with even more protein.

Claire and Sylvain observing July and Bebe

I walked back from the forest mid afternoon feeling a little tired but very pleased with myself. It’s not often that you are able to see three species of wild monkey in one day!

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