Here is another blog from Sagan, our Mangabey researcher….

With 40 mangabeys living together in 1 hectare, social interactions are endless.  As I am now able to recognize all individuals within the group, I cannot help but to be overly intrigued by the dynamics of the family.

Sagan Observing the group

The adult females are the central hub of the group.  The males spend much of the day fighting over them and many of the juveniles still rely on them as a source of milk, comfort, and protection.  In a seemingly peaceful manner, the females spend much of their day looking for food and grooming. They hardly seem to notice the havoc the males and juveniles create around them.  And it is plenty!  During periods of intensified sociality, the dominant female Odudu moves across the population grooming animals for short periods inspecting their wounds.  These short grooming bouts seem to be her way of making sure everyone is happy and re-affirming her position in the group.  She is a graceful and charismatic monkey, and with half of the population descended from her, she is truly the mother of the group.

Odudu and some members of her family

The males on the other hand expend their energy quite differently.  Though they do spend time grooming and caring for offspring, their efforts tend to be directed towards mate acquisition and guarding. When females in the group are cycling (adverstised via large pink sexual swellings) the aggression in the group noticeably increases.  The female will forage her way through the day as usual, but at this time she will be followed by one or more males.  At peak swelling (when she is most fertile), these follows can last all day.  When there is more than one interested male, the lower ranking male follows most closely and will in turn be followed by a higher ranking male.  And if she is particularly sexy, sometimes a third male will join in and follow her and the two other males.  The male mangabeys are certainly dedicated to the cause!  The pattern of interactions throughout the day is quite repetitive with the higher ranking male chasing off the lower ranking individuals whenever they get too close to the female.  I imagine this strategy is a way for the dominant male to limit the number of matings by lower ranking males without needing to exert physical forms of violence. 

Clyde, the dominant male of the group

Compared to the large amount of chasing and loud screaming vocalizations throughout the day, the amount of physical fighting and thus injury is relatively low (though some nasty injuries do occur!). When more than one female is swelling it becomes difficult for a dominant male to monitor.  If the dominant male slacks in his vigilance the lower male will seize the opportunity (if the female permits!).    Last month we had 5 adult females swelling at once!  It is during such times that lower ranking males have an opportunity to mate and possibly sire some offspring.  The specific strategy used by females to ensure that their offspring are sired by the most fit male is unknown.  We hope to be able to paternity tests within the group in order to determine who is actually fathering the juveniles in this ever so growing population.  Such information is also useful in investigating whether inbreeding avoidance mechanisms are being upheld in a growing isolated population.

Odudu and adult male Sunday

When the group is faced with periods of seemingly endless sex and violence the juveniles do their best to stay out of the way.  Meanwhile, some of the older individuals will sometimes join in to try and establish their spot within the group.  It is a critical time in the group at the moment as we have several growing males that will soon become adult.  In the wild males disperse from their native group to find a new group full of unrelated females.  As this is not possible within our semi-captive group we are curious to see what will happen.  Otu, a 7 year old male and Odudu’s son, is the first male to become adult within the group.  For now, he keeps on the periphery of the group (though he doesn’t seem to be low ranking).  This may be a result of his inability to disperse.  Will he establish his own splinter group formed of unrelated females?  Or is he bound to be an outcast?  This situation is particularly interesting as it can be used as a model for growing wild populations that are isolated in forest fragments created by deforestation.  We are all very curious to see what happens, and very keen for some of these managbeys to be released!

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Hello! I am a student from Roehampton University London and am at CERCOPAN until June working on my Masters in Primatology. Everyone here has been exceptionally helpful and accommodating, this is my first time in Africa and I can’t imagine it without the support of a team like CERCOPAN. Since arriving exactly one month ago I have had the pleasure of spending time at both the Calabar site and Rhoko site. Both are distinctly different from each other and offer their own personal blend of Nigerian flavor.

Lisa climbing a tree at Rhoko

Calabar is a true metropolis with restaurants, public transport and internet cafes. The people are a diverse mix-from those raised in Calabar or nearby villages to those from states other than Cross River State. No matter where they are from the people are always friendly and have been teaching me different words and phrases in Ibo, Efik, and Akwa Ibom – 3 of the over 200 languages spoken in the Cross River State alone.

Often while I am observing the mangabeys at the Calabar site I am approached by local people who have come to visit CERCOPAN. A few days ago a 13-year-old boy was asking me all about the monkeys – their names, what they were doing, what I was doing. After explaining all of it to him he told me he would like to go to the UK as well – like me. “That’s great I told him”, you’ll have to work very hard though – UK is very expensive; He then basically told me this wouldn’t be a problem as he would bring his sheep with him and that would (clearly) cover any expenses he might encounter. Conversations like these are just one of the many reasons I am thoroughly enjoying my time here in Nigeria.

Rhoko is a truly different experience as CERCOPAN’s “Bush Site” it really is like taking a trip to the country after the hustle and bustle of Calabar. Everything slows down and instead of falling asleep to the sound of motorbikes passing I drift off to the majestic sounds of the forest with crickets, hirrax and frog noises. The people here are from CERCOPAN host community of Iko Esai and could not be more welcoming everyone knows my name and greets me enthusiastically despite the fact I have only been here a week. Each time I visit the keepers I am practically forced to feed plantains in an overwhelming gesture of hospitality that I have yet to witness in any other country. My cultural experiences in Nigeria have far exceeded any expectations I had before arriving yet almost pale when compared to the monkeys I have met here at CERCOPAN - they continue to amaze me.

Jacel, balancing on branch in the Mangabey enclosure

My Masters Project comprises of stress levels among the mangabeys at Calabar (in traditional cage enclosures) and those at Rhoko (in their large natural enclosure). Having the 2 sites is a unique opportunity and makes CERCOPAN an ideal place to conduct research. My first impression of the mangabeys here is how they are surprisingly resilient. To be separated from their mothers so young is a textbook indicator of low survival rate, slower growth rate and depression. However, thanks to CERCOPAN, these mangabeys not only have survived but have thriving in normal, healthy social groups! Talk about beating the odds.

While in Calabar and Rhoko may diverge in cultural feel, the uplifting message brought to both by CERCOPAN is constant. When I first moved from the US, to London to begin my Masters Program I knew I wanted to do a project at a primate sanctuary but hadn’t a clue which one. I now consider myself very fortunate to have chosen CERCOPAN because – although have only been here a month – it is clear that CERCOPAN’s involvement in the community and dedication to rainforest conservation, primate conservation are what make it such a success.

Village Life

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Whenever I try to explain my address to one of the many bike taxi’s in Calabar, I simply have to say “Dat monkey place” and the driver immediately knows exactly where to take me. In the local area we are definitely best known for our monkey rehabilitation and education work, but people are less aware that we also protect prime rainforest habitat. Protecting rainforest in Cross River is vital, not only to preserve the immense biodiversity of the region, but also to safeguard the livelihoods of human populations.

View from CERCOPAN tree platform over the Iko Esai Community forest

In communities such as Iko Esai, that are heavily dependent on the forest for survival, conversion can have devastating consequences, particularly for the poorest families. As such residents are working with CERCOPAN to develop and implement a Land Use Management Plan (LUMP) to conserve their forest for both immediate use and the benefit of future generations. The 12,000 hectare forest area is home to elephant, red river hog, drill monkeys, bushbabies, guenons, buffalo and Situnga among many other species both large and small. In fact, only a few weeks ago I almost tripped over a Pangolin whilst using the light from a mobile phone to sleepily navigate my way to the camp toilet!

Aerial photgraph of Iko Esai protected zones, Cross River National Park and surrounding areas

The Iko Esai Land Use Management Plan includes 4 zones; a core area (400ha), research area (2600ha), conservation area (12,000ha) and a sustainable management (for local timber extraction)/farming zone (approximately 8000ha). Whilst non timber forest products such as bush mango and snails can be collected in the research and conservation areas, all forms of exploitation in the core area are prohibited. This policy is upheld by Esira, Igwe, Obun and Gabriel, who patrol the area on a shift basis, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Each member of the patrol team was once an Iko Esai hunter who has been re-trained by CERCOPAN to protect the very species that he once sought to kill.

Patrol members Esira and Igwe

It is very rare that hunters enter the core area, but even if they simply pass through, the chiefs council takes the matter very seriously. In fact, the last person caught walking within the core at night was fined two bunches of plantain, one crate of beer, two bottles of local gin and a goat! The monkey hunting ban is taken even more seriously as you can hear from the clipping from a speech made by the traditional ruler of Iko Esai that I have included below. Thankfully, not a single person has been found hunting or in possession of a dead monkey since the onset of the ban in 2006.

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Excerpt from a speech made by Chief Owai regarding the killing of monkeys

Signs placed around the boundaries of the core area (the reverse reads “By order of Iko Esai”)

In the future, we hope to develop similar agreements with the communities immediately neighbouring Iko Esai. This move would offer the potential to protect over 40,000 ha of habitat bordering the entire western flank of the Cross River National park. The National Park is home to over 199 species, including Leopard, Chimpanzee and the most endangered of all African primates; the Cross River Gorilla. By providing a buffer to the park we would effectively help to protect all of these species and to maintain the integrity of this globally important conservation area.

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Here is a blog written by Sagan Friant, a volunteer working on Mangabey research at Rhoko camp.

At day break I grab a quick cup of instant coffee and make my way downhill from camp and soon begin to hear the loud whoop-gobble call the adult male mangabeys use to announce their territory. The red-capped mangabeys (Cercocebus torquatus torquatus) at Rhoko live in a 1 hectare enclosure within the forest and are all considered potential future release candidates. Back in 2003, 18 animals (3 adult males, 2 adolescent males, 7 females, 5 juveniles, 1 infant) were selected to be moved to the enclosure, on the basis of history, behaviour and health screening all conducted at CERCOPAN headquarters. Since I completed my masters research here in the summer of 2007, the mangabey population has experienced 9 births and the population has now reached 40 individuals!

Sagan studying the Mangabeys

Though they are provisioned, it only takes a few hours within the enclosure to realize how close to being wild these monkeys have become. The mangabeys are true opportunistic ominivores. In just a week, I have witnessed them feeding on a wide diversity of foods found within the enclosure. Along with the typical leaves and fruits, we have observed mangabeys digging for roots of plants and biting bark off the sides of certain trees. Many of the plants within the enclosure have local medicinal uses, which may be exploited by the mangabeys. Eno, one of the keepers directed me to a tree which the mangabeys were feeding on called ‘debrabure’, and explained that it is used in the village to increase fertility. Perhaps this explains the booming population! The mangabeys do not stop with plant matter however, as we have also observed them digging for ants, pounding termite nests in an attempt to break them open, and discovering and consuming lizard eggs.

When they are not foraging, these incredibly social monkeys spend much of the day grooming and playing. Over fifty percent of the population is juvenile, and these youngsters frequently wreak havoc throughout the enclosure chasing one another from tree to tree and swinging on lianas. Such roguish behaviors are not limited solely to the younger generations however, as adult and sub-adult males are quite active in their continuous attempts to maintain or improve their position within the hierarchy.

Young Mangabeys playing in the trees

Akposi, a research assistant from Iko Esai, has been observing this population since they arrived to the enclosure in 2004. He knows the mangabeys very well, and has been helping me to recognize all forty individuals- no easy task! Together, we hope to use the past years of observations to learn more about the behavioral ecology of the red-capped mangabey, a species which has been under-studied relative to other primate taxa. Additionally, at CERCOPAN we hope to identify which animals (as an individual and a group) are most suited for release back into the wild. Prime candidates will be those that exhibit the most ‘natural’ behaviors and whose family is well represented within the Rhoko group. Once selected, the proposed animals will require further veterinary screening, and with governmental and local permissions and adequate protection, we hope that these mangabeys can then become wild. Ultimately, we hope that the local forest will be home to completely free-ranging mangabeys that can be studied long term within their natural habitat.

Akposi recording data on Mangabey behaviour

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I have just received some reports and photographs from the bush so thought I would post a quick update on the progress of our release group. Three months after the release of the Bebi, July and Nko, we have not lost any individuals, the group has remained in the area planned to be their home-range, no major health problems have been noted and the radio tracking equipment is still functioning.

Since the beginning, the three animals have stayed together as a group, with July leading and protecting the others from any potential threats. Indeed, July has been observed chasing red eared monkeys on two occasions, when they entered the same crown as the group. July has also been observed copulating with Bebi on two occasions, although these are certainly more social mounts, given the weak probability of Bebi being receptive.

Nko foraging for insects

So far, the group has remained inside the Core Area, with no single foray into the research area, community forest, or main camp. Using a grid system established inside the forest on the release site, we have been able to measure and assess the size of home-range in addition to the daily travel length. The approximate home-range size is now between 7 and 8 ha, and the daily length range is 750m. The 2 first months were characterized by a smaller home-range size and daily length range (2.5 ha for 350m per day), since the group was located in part of the forest rich in food resources, especially fruits. Since the production of their top 3 food species decreased, and we have been able to discern a noticeable increase in time spent travelling.

Bebe eating fruits

Food provisioning is still carried out, but with a process of progressive decrease in the provided amount. During the two first weeks after the release, we supplied the group with food twice a day, once in the morning and again in the late afternoon. We then decreased the provisioning to once a day, usually in the beginning of the afternoon as we observed that the group could find enough food and fruit on their own. Since the beginning of January 2008 however, food is provided only once every two or three days. This new reduction should allow the group to become more independent, and to reduce human/monkey interactions.

Bebe

The group tend to spend the early morning and end afternoon in the upper stratum of the forest, with more time in the lower layers/on the ground in the middle of the day. They own several sleeping trees they leave in the morning and that constitute central points around which they travel during the day. The Monas often follow the stream close to the release enclosure, walking in the water or on the banks, jumping from roots to trunks and foraging in the water on arthropods. Surprisingly, the largest percentage of time spent foraging is actually on arthropods, with fruits and seeds forming the second main food category.

July and Nko following the stream

We are all delighted that the Monas are doing well and that they have adapted so readily to life in the wild. Working at CERCOPAN can be emotionally draining at times, watching animals that have been poorly treated entering our gates day after day and losing animals that we have worked so hard to save. Nevertheless, watching the footage of our newly wild Mona’s makes everything else we endure worthwhile. Not only does it mark a second chance for Bebi, Nko and July, but it also fills us with hope for all of the other monkeys that we will one day follow them.

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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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This is me, Claire Coulson, Deputy Director transferring Mickey and Big Qua to their outdoor enclosure.

CERCOPAN is dedicated to primate conservation through the rehabilitation of endangered primates, environmental education, forest protection, and research. CERCOPAN’s Director Zena Tooze, founded the project in 1995.

Based in Calabar, Cross River State, CERCOPAN is now a non-governmental non-profit organisation with charity registration in the UK and in progress in Nigeria. The forest site at Rhoko (near the host community of Iko Esai) is a Centre for Research, Education and Conservation and isnow also growing ecotourism destination.

FOREST CONSERVATION

CERCOPAN has secured the protection of over 20,000 hectares of tropical rainforest in partnership with the local community—Nigeria has lost over 90% of its rainforests and more than half of the remaining 10% is found within Cross River State. These forests, along with those in Southwest Cameroon, are collectively known as the “Cross River Rainforests”, and are regarded as one of Africa’s 5 forest biodiversity hotspots.

RESCUE AND REHABILITATION OF FOREST PRIMATES

Mona monkey mottie when he arrived on 05/03/07

Mottie on 12/04/07 after only one month of care at Cercopan

CERCOPAN has over 150 primates of 6 different species in various stages of rehabilitation, most of them orphaned by the bush meat trade. Three of these (the Sclater’s guenon, Preuss’ guenon and the red-eared guenon)are endangered and only found in this region of Africa. They represent the future for /in situ /captive breeding in these highly endangered primates. These primates serve as a focus for education, and act as ambassadors for conservation.

Due to the illegal bushmeat trade combined with CERCOPAN’s very successful education campaign, more and more primates enter the gates of CERCOPAN every month. Consequently the primate rehabilitation facilities at Rhoko and Calabar are full. CERCOPAN plans to expand their facilities on a new site, building more enclosures and a larger education centre in the near future to meet this demand.

On the 1st November 2007 history was made by CERCOPAN. 3 Mona guenons were released (with radio tracking collars) into the core protected area at Rhoko, our forest site where biodiversity and primate research is carried out. These were the first ever primates to be released in West Africa (and our research assistants are following them and collecting data). This exciting data will help with subsequent releases CERCOPAN is planning over the next few years.

EDUCATION

Education is an integral and vital part of our programme, both in rural and urban environments. Each term we conduct outreach programmes in over 50 schools and 2 universities. Conservation Clubs are functioning in 4 schools and 2 universities. CERCOPAN also has a Calabar-based conservation club since 2003 comprising of over 25 members. The group consists of highly motivated and interested students from secondary schools in Calabar. CERCOPAN receives over 30,000 visitors a year at Calabar and Rhoko. Depending on the age and understanding of the visitor, the goal is for visitors to take away a few simple messages about conservation and primates.

Senior Education Officer, Jerry teaching children about the importance of conservation

COMMUNITY CONSERVATION THROUGH DEVELOPMENT

We firmly believe in working closely and cooperatively with our host community and their neighbours. CERCOPAN strives to ensure excellent community relations through a regular community newsletter and the employment of several staff dedicated to community development including a Community Programme Officer, Education Assistant and Small Scale Micro-enterprise advisor. In addition, twenty one of our thirty five Nigerian staff are from Iko Esai.

CERCOPAN has begun working with three main target groups in the community; women, youths and hunters, helping them to earn an alternative income. These micro-enterprises will include activities such as snail farming, bee keeping, bread making and basket weaving and will be at a very local, low cost level providing a source of food for the community.

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