CERCOPAN

Category: Cercopan, Conservation, Monkeys, Nigeria, Uncategorized | Date: Aug 17 2008 | By: cercopan

By Austin Igbebor, Primate caregiver

Austin

Sclater’s Guenons (Cercopithecus Sclateri) are Nigeria’s only endemic primate. At CERCOPAN we provide home to the only individuals of this endangered species known to occur in captivity. Sclater’s monkeys are beautifully coloured and very unique among our guenons. Most hot afternoons, they spend time relaxing and grooming themselves while other monkeys are foraging for insects.  The sclater’s monkeys are really beautiful to behold with their “punky” hairstyle finely cut out by nature, which gives them a sharp look as if they are just coming out of the barbers shop. The sclater’s monkeys have white ear tufts, milky white nose and their tails are a combination of three colours half way red, halfway white and black at the tips. Sadly, despite these qualities of beauty and uniqueness, they are being seriously hunted and their habitat destroyed and this is having a devastating impact on their wild population, slowly driving these wonderful creatures to local extinction. CERCOPAN as a forest monkey rehabilitation centre has come to the rescue of this primate species.

Austin feeding Scarlet

Currently at CERCOPAN we are rehabilitating a small group of sclater’s monkeys consisting of six individuals, they are cared for by me (Austin) and my fellow care givers. We provide them with various kinds of stimulating enrichments such as ropes tied at various angles, poles, tree branches, wooden platforms, bamboo poles, wood shavings etc….. All these enrichments enable them enhance their natural skills and instincts within the confines of their enclosure.

Now let me briefly introduce you to our dear Sclater’s monkeys. They have a well and strictly organized social structure, and a one male-multi-female behavioural structure. “Frankie” is the alpha male and sole protector of the group, an absolute leader with no contenders (of course there’s no other adult male in the group to compete for the position of the alpha male with him!). “Scarlet” is the alpha female and the oldest member of the group, a foster mother who protects and cares for all the other Sclater’s babies who arrive (including Frankie who is now the alpha male). Scarlet nurses and carries the orphans in the ventral-ventral position guaranteeing their security.

Alpha male, Frankie

“Ubie” an adult female loves eating and spends most of the time relaxing with “Uto” a juvenile female who is the most aggressive of all the Sclater’s. Uto takes so much pleasure in threatening and harassing “Naira”, a very calm and low ranking member of the group. Sadly,  Naira is mostly deprived of the most vital and valuable social activity of a monkey, grooming, and this is gradually cutting her off from the social glue that bonds individuals together.

Naira

Finally the baby of the group, a very stubborn orphan infant male whose parents were killed for the bush meat trade. He was not too long ago weaned by Scarlet his foster mother and is now beginning to practice adult activities like mounting naira, exhibiting dominate displays and expressing high aggression. In the future, thsi monkey will possibly be a major contender to Frankie. At this point I will like to introduce to you “Pegasus” the baby sclater’s, a good looking fluffy monkey who still takes milk from a bottle every morning and evening to supplement his mothers milk. How he loves drinking his milk, always looking expectant. Though Pegasus proves to be very strong he always solicits for supports from Scarlet when he’s in real trouble.

 Scarlet and Pegasus

I pray that someday our sclater’s monkeys will begin to procreate and that they can eventually be re-introduced back to their natural forest ecosystem where they will have all the benefits of their natural habitat at its best.