by Kristine Krynitzki

Ema is one of those babies whose big bright eyes can make even the toughest of characters heart melt. Standing no taller than ankle height, she peers up at you and immediately you want to take her into your arms and comfort her from the sadness she surely must feel from having lost her parents at such a tender age. Ema is yet another orphan who has come to CERCOPAN because, like most babies, her parents were likely killed due to the ever-present bushmeat trade.

Ema at my feet

My first encounter with Ema was a very sad one. It was late May and I was on my back to Calabar from visiting our bush site at Rhoko when my bike ran out of fuel. Taking a short break in a village while my driver went to fill up his tank, I decided to take a stroll. Shortly thereafter a man approached me carrying a small monkey with a piece of string tied around its waist, hanging by a stick. He was offering me this “pet” of his for five thousand naira. My immediate reaction was to explain to the man all of the many reasons why he should not keep monkeys as pets and why he should just give it to me. Unfortunately my efforts failed as he would not give it up without payment. I immediately notified Claire when I got back to the office and an action plan was put into place to rescue this poor soul.

In the following week our Education Officer from the bush, Mike Ekpe, visited the man many times. Although Mike is well versed in confiscating illegally kept monkeys, the man was still unwilling to give it up without being monetarily compensated. When CERCOPAN’s Deputy Director, Claire Coulson, was visiting the bush the following weekend she decided to also pay the man a visit. Luckily this time the man came to his senses and handed the baby monkey over to her, but made her promise to keep the monkey’s original name – Ema, after the man Emmanuel.

It was early June when Ema first arrived to her new home at CERCOPAN in Calabar and immediately everyone loved her. She is one of those special monkeys that just always looks stunning, from her shiny coat of fur, her big bright eyes, and the hop in her step. Although a little bit of a madam, as most female puttys are, she immediately took to her new surroundings. She was not frightened of all the new people she encountered, and quickly began exploring her new space.

Ema having lunch

Ema has been a real pleasure to take care of, which cannot always be said for all babies. Some are very frightened when they arrive, which makes it hard to take of care them, others are extremely clingy, never wanting to let go of you, making all other responsibilities very difficult to handle. I find Ema to be a very well balanced individual. She loves to cuddle and play and generally be in the company of others, but she is also okay with being on her own for afternoon naps.

Unfortunately due to being domesticated as a pet by her previous owner at such a young age, she wasn’t able to establish very good monkey skills that should have been natural, like jumping and clinging and climbing. When she first arrived she was only able to cling to my hair, which was rather uncomfortable as you can imagine, so I had to carry her around. She also found it very difficult to jump long distances and often fell onto the floor in failed attempts. Luckily after a few days of play where I would test her abilities with various activities, she quickly strengthened these skills and is now as agile as the rest of her kind.

After being TB tested, Ema was ready to go outside to be introduced to a new monkey friend. Though sad, as it always is when the babies leave the house, Ema moved into a nice new home in the quarantine area with another new monkey named Johnnyface. I am happy for Ema because she and Johnnyface have loved each other since the moment they met. Introductions to new friends are always a little unpredictable, but this was a match made in heaven. The following morning when I went out to check on her, she was fast asleep in Johnnyface’s arms. The rest of the day she could be found bouncing around on the swing, rustling through the palm leaves, or simply sitting on the platform hugging her new friend.

Ema and Johnny face

Luckily Ema and Johnnyface are both small babies who do not require too much space, but we will soon be faced with a putty predicament when she is to move again into the larger quarantine area. Ema is only one of three new babies to arrive in the last month, and with our already at-capacity quarantine area and enclosures, she has nowhere to move to. We are in the process of redesigning and expanding the important area where all of the newcomers are kept, but as the projects keep mounting our finances are having a tough time keeping up. We now have the land to build new enclosures and the designs are ready, but without the funds we cannot go ahead. If you want to help create a home for Ema and her friends, please donate today.

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For the last month, I have barely set foot in my office at CERCOPAN HQ. The state government held a stakeholders’ Environmental Summit here in Calabar from 25th -28th June and the organizing team, of which I was a member, worked day and night to ensure that it was a huge success. We had just over three weeks to book hotels, fundraise, organize food, clean and prepare the venue, initiate the publicity campaign, organize vehicles to transport guests, design and print the programmes, banners and invitations, set up computers, screens, lighting etc. etc. The media attention during the run up to the event was particularly grueling, with a constant stream of talk shows, press conferences and radio interviews. My very limited wardrobe had me wracking my brains every morning trying to come up with new combinations that would not make it look as though I only have one jacket! Towards the end, I actually wondered if we could pull everything together in time (particularly after a few last-minute unexpected hitches), but when the day came, it all just fell into place.

The high table at the summit  (me on far left)

The theme of the Summit was “Developing and Sustaining a Green and Safe Environment for Present and Future Generations” and it focused on Forests and Biodiversity, Urban Environmental Management, Climate Change, Energy, Industrial Ecology, and Environmental Governance. The aim of the summit was for stakeholders to come together and contribute towards shaping the future of environmental policy in Cross River State.   It was attended by representatives from Federal and State Governments, overseases experts, Members of the Diplomatic Corp, National and State Assemblies, Academia, Development Partners, Non-Governmental Organisations, Media and the general public. Representatives from the communities that work with CERCOPAN were also invited, and they were delighted to be placed in the VIP section with all of the important guests. They were particularly excited and proud that the poster backdrop and event programme were filled with pictures from their forest, Rhoko. I was initially afraid that I would not be able to spot my friends from the communities amongst all of the other guests, but as the only attendees wearing bright red woolen bobble hats, I need not have worried!

Traditional dancers at the opening ceremony (can you spot my community members towards the top right?)

After the opening Ceremony, with its speeches and dances, the general public headed for home and the technical experts split into thematic groups to contribute ideas and give presentations. I was placed in the Forest and Biodiversity group alongside my colleagues from the Forestry Commission, Cross River National Park, Federal National Parks service etc. The discussion in our group was very lively and after numerous talks and a great deal of deliberation, we presented our ideas to all of the other groups.

Representative from  Federal National Parks service giving a presentation

At the end of the summit, the contributions from all of the groups were summarised into broad recommendations and a Communique produced. This documents was submitted to the State government and accepted unanimously yesterday. The recommendations were as follows:

1. Halt revenue targets based on timber exploitation and focus on forest conservation and regeneration for possible carbon finance.

2. Initiate action to take advantage of the carbon credit market.

3. Declare a two year moratorium on logging, timber cutting and sawing in forest reserves and also put in place adequate enforcement measures to halt deforestation and forest degradation.

4. Identify and implement short and long-term adaptation and mitigation measures to reduce the impacts of climate change due to global warming.

5. Promote the use of renewable energy sources such as micro hydropower, biomass, energy efficient woodstoves, solar, etc. to complement the conventional energy supply.

6. Promote Sustainable Forest Management and reforestation at the State, Local and community levels.

7. Facilitate the change from harmful agricultural practices to eco-agriculture.

8. Establish a sustainable integrated waste management system including a recycle village through public, private and community participation.

9. Implement an improved water supply scheme in the State, with centralized sewage system in new settlements.

10. Promote the establishment of waste water/effluent treatment plants in all industries and conduct environmental audits in industries.

11. Establish a State Environmental Sustainability Fund or Eco-fund as a more coordinated, holistic and focused approach for managing environment for sustainable development.

12. Establish a Museum of Natural History to support eco-tourism and environmental education.

 13. Adopt a multi-sectoral approach to review and harmonize all legal frameworks and institutions dealing with environmental issues in the State.

14. Set up an institutional mechanism to facilitate compliance monitoring and enforcement of environmental standards and regulations, and to partner with the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA).

15. Integrate Gender and Youth issues into the State Environmental Policy of clean, green and safe environment.

16. Introduce environmental education into the school curriculum at all levels and in collaboration with Stakeholders.

17. Enhance the development of environmental governance, advocacy and sustainable livelihood options, especially at the community level.

18. Set-up a technical team to develop a Strategic Action Plan (SAP) to enable the implementation of the outcome of the Summit within the next four (4) weeks.

His Excellency the Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke giving keynote address

Just when I thought my work was over and I may actually start arriving home before 9pm at night, I was asked to join the technical team and now have 4 weeks to help develop the Forest and Biodiversity section of the Action Plan. This plan will incorporate more of the detail arising from our group discussions in addition to new ideas and input. I am sure its going to keep me very busy, but I really am delighted to be part of such a forward thinking government initiative. His Excellency the Governor of Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke and the Commissioner of the Environment, Dr Julius Okputu, are both so committed to ensuring the natural heritage of the State is conserved, that I am certain this action plan will achieve results. I will post the biodiversity section in 4 weeks time when it’s complete so watch this space!

Commissioner of the Environment, Dr Julius Okputu

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By Egu Arikpo

Place of work: Calabar HQ

Designation: Primate Care Staff 

Years of Service : 10 years

Egu

CERCOPAN is conserving six different species of monkeys, but I Egu Arikpo am in charge of Putty Nosed Guenons. Putty nosed monkeys belong to the family of the guenons called (Cercopithecus nictitan) and they are found from Liberia to Zaire and Angola.  Nellie was one of the putty’s and was a dominant female.  She acted very well in the group which every staff in CERCOPAN loved, her behaviour was as that of humans, because whenever a new monkey was introduced into her group from quarantine she did not fight nor threaten them but groomed them.  

Nellie took care of the smaller orphan babies’ in-terms of grooming, and also made them feel very happy in the group.  Nellie was also a monkey that was always alert. Whenever anyone passed her enclosure with anything edible, she stretched out her hands or screamed so hard to draw their attention indicating she needed something from them. Nellie never attacked or bit any staff in CERCOPAN.

Nellie and Egu

When problems arose in the group, she would always first of all look for where to sit and would watch to see exactly what was going on in the group. She would never look for ways of escape, but would rather choose to forage and groom the orphan babies’ in the group. 

Nellie pretended so much when she was sick, so that her friend Nkanacha would not over-throw her in her rank. Sometimes Nkanacha would want to copy Nellie’s bahaviours, but other monkeys awere not close to Nkanacha because of her aggressive style.

To keep Nellie happy at all times, we always fed her first before any other monkey in the group. She did not want the smaller monkeys to eat before her, as she is the madam and the dominate female in the group.

Sadly Nellie died recently and all of the staff were very sad, although she was very old. We will miss her a lot.  

Nellie

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A blog from Kristine ..our new Office/Finance Manager…. 

Last Wednesday morning CERCOPAN, Calabar awoke in a sea of murky muddy water resulting from the previous evening’s storm. At 6:30 am I stepped out of bed onto the cold squishy wetness of my submerged bedroom floor carpet and that was only the beginning. I opened my door to find a miniature Cross River runoff flowing through my hallway. My shampoo was leisurely floating downstream from the shower room to join various other household items that had congregated in the living room throughout the night. It was definitely a sight to see. Who needs coffee to perk you up in the morning when you’ve got such an enormous catastrophe to jolt you awake? However, undaunted and once again, the CERCOPAN family joined together to tackle the seemingly insurmountable mess and what could have taken weeks was cleared up in mere hours.

 The hallway at 6am

Any doubts about the onset of the rainy season were quickly dispelled. The storm arrived late in the evening when all was still. The monkeys were all nestled into their nooks, and I was fast asleep inside, oblivious to the onslaught. Unlike most large storms this one was actually rather quiet, but the lack of sound was compensated for by the sheer volume of water brought with it. Sheets and sheets poured down from the sky so rapidly that the earth did not have a chance to defend itself. There was simply too much water for the ground to absorb.  Seeping slowly the water crept in throughout the course of the night to wreak its silent sabotage. It was an every-item-for-itself battle and the water won.

Wading through the remaining six inches of water at dawn, Claire, the Deputy Director, woke me up by gently tapping on my door uttering the words that nothing good could follow – “Um, Kristine, you had better come take a look at this…”. At first I thought the bathroom pipe had burst (as it is very leaky), or a sink had overflowed or something. Not this. Not a flood. Not in my house. Of all the things you expect to happen here, this was just not one of them.

The Office after considerable bailing out of water - still wet!

After a quick evaluation of the damage it was clear this was going to be a huge job. The mud was everywhere in every single room. Some were worse than others, but nothing had been left unaffected. My bedroom, the kitchen, hallway, living room, both offices, and the vet lab were all submerged. Thankfully, everyone came to our aid, including off duty staff. If ever there was a perfect example of team work, this was it. Immediately everyone took up specific tasks, me and Claire, the house staff, keepers, the veterinarian, the education officer and assistant, were all scooping out bucket after bucket of water, moving furniture, pulling up carpets, digging out silt from the trenches and mopping the floors. Amongst singing and whistling, laughing and friendly banter everyone just got right down to it and the job was finished in record time. After a few hours there was a noticeable sign of hope that this would actually get sorted out, then at 3pm, and after only a few short breaks, the entire house and office were not only completely tidied, but even cleaner, more organized and revamped into a nicer, more welcoming space.

 Sitting room looking very clean (although without a carpet) after the cleanup

Though the damage was profound, we were lucky none of the monkeys were affected. Quite a few things in the building, which we are still working on fixing, were ruined or damaged but we are thankful that no one got hurt and appreciative that we have such wonderful staff who really know how to pitch in when it counts. The water level must have been much higher throughout the night as many large objects were carried 20 feet away from their original location. Unfortunately the batteries charging our backup power supply, and also the charger for our radio to communicate with our bush site, among other things, were severely damaged due to the height the water reached. Luckily we have been able to re-wire our power supply but still remain unable to communicate with the bush site. We all remain hopeful and thankful that things continue to work out, and find solace in knowing that we have such an amazing group of people who, together, can face any challenge and triumph against any test we are put up to. As proven, once again, on this day, the CERCOPAN team is a solid shield that can protect against even the most violent of storms, in all ways, shapes and forms.  Nevertheless, we are pleased that these floods occur only rarely.

Cercopan staff hard at work

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After over two months without an internet connection, we are finally back online this week! Given that our operations have been seriously hindered without it, the return of the net has been a serious cause for celebration in the office. I must apologise for our lack of replies and posts on the blog over this time, but hopefully now that things are back to normal we will be able to access the site daily.

Firstly and most importantly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who have donated over the period we were offline. I am very sorry that we have not been able to acknowledge your contributions until now. We would like to thank:

Anonymous - 1st - 13th May

Theresa Siskind - 22nd - 28th April

Emerentiane MC and Anonymous 15th - 22nd April

Anonymous - 22nd-31st March

Theresa Siskind - 8-14th March

Lucia C. – 1-7th March

More recently, since the launch of the Enclosure Appeal, we received $175 in donations from Anonymous, Antonio C, Sherri S and Wanda H. Thank you so much for your support, we still have a long way to go, but every donation really does bring us closer to our goal.

I will keep you all updated on the progress of this vital project.

Mona Monkey Mimi at Calabar HQ

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The situation at our Calabar HQ has now reached crisis point. If we are to continue rescuing monkeys orphaned by the bush meat trade, it is vital that we begin constructing new enclosures immediately.

A Baby putty just after being rescued

Many of the babies whose stories you have followed over recent months; Abonema, JB, Murphy, are all now ready to leave quarantine and to be placed into family groups….sadly with the recent influx of animals, we simply have no suitable enclosures available at the moment with sufficient space to house them. In addition, it is imperative that we are able to respond to information about orphans being held at homes in Calabar and must be able to continue to confiscate orphans being kept as pets in Calabar, not only to underscore the fact that it is illegal to keep them, but also to save each individual from what would otherwise be a very sad existence.

After much negotiation, we have managed to find some land that we can rent to extend our operations. We hope to build four new enclosures but the only way that we can do this is with your help. Please help us to help them. Anything that you can give no matter how small could really make the difference for those animals that are still waiting to be rescued.

 The Life of a family pet

The costs of this project are as follows:

4 enclosures (labour and materials - chainlink fencing, 4×4 wood, planks, plywood, ropes, concrete, block work, poles, watering bowls, standoff fencing to keep visitors back) approximately $2000 each - $8000

Rent of land for two years - $400. Perimeter chain link Fencing, support posts and concrete - $400

TOTAL - $8800

Baby mangabey with surrogate ‘teddy’ mother at Calabar HQ

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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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We must apologise for the tardiness of this blog. We have had rather a hectic month; our Director came to visit to check on the release group, our bush site manager went on a well deserved break to the UK and then Claire went to Sierra Leone to attend a conference and is now in the bush. In addition our office internet has been down for a month! So I, Heather MacIntosh (the vet nurse), am writing about my babies in her absence.

Tom

There have been moves afoot in quarantine and not before time. Sageno, one of the four Putty Nosed has just learnt to take the open padlock off the latch and gain her freedom. She never went far, just around the outside and she always comes to me so she was never in any danger of being escaped for long. It was thought therefore that it was high time the group graduated into the big enclosure. So we introduced them to their new bigger brothers, Cross and Regiy, and their new surrogate grandmother, Nkanacha. Nkanacha has already had experience of boisterous babies Cross and Regiy, when they were introduced to her at just over one year old. Nkanacha has therefore taken to the new 4 Puttys like an old hand. Some of the clan are just a little unsure of the move however. Whenever Nkanacha tries to groom Akampka (the smallest of the babies) he doesn’t quite know what is happening and struggles to get away.

Yoga Akampka!

Akampka and Peck

Sageno, the biggest of the four, has always been the confident top dog. This changed when she met Cross and Regiy. The other 3 played and explored but Sageno was suddenly confronted with two curious bigger Puttys and she was scared. She screamed if they came near and hugged the walls of the enclosure and sought comfort from my grooming. It has taken a few days but she has finally realised that they mean her no harm and can even provide her with playmates for her bouncy Putty games.

Sageno and Tom

Their move produced a space in one of our bigger quarantine cages. The choice was an obvious one of who had to move in there. Mickey (a Red Eared) and Big Qua (a Mona) had for the past few days been gaining skills at breaking and exiting. For months they were happy to bounce around their nursery cage but recently they had gained the confidence to explore. Big Qua always stayed close to the cage but Mickey was a lot more adventurous and used to make her way to an enclosure that has our baby Monas, including Netim, in it. However, once there she realised she didn’t know where she was nor what she should do I used to hear her high pitched trill distress call, go to where she was, hold out my hand and wait patiently for her to come to me. Once back at the nursery cage she jumped right back in and Big Qua followed. So these two were the obvious choice to move into the bigger cage. They have been joined by another mixed Red Eared/Mona pair, Biggy and Sandra (Sonic). All have settled in and there have been no breakouts since.

Big Qua and Mickey

Sonic

Our Mangabey orphans Abonema and Murphy have been joined by a sister, Osuwake, which means victory. They were introduced to each other gradually so she had time to adjust to a larger male Mangabey. At first she was unsure but gradually gained confidence and readily went to him to be groomed and prodded. Now that they have been properly introduced he largely ignores her but sometimes he can be a bit rough with her like all older brothers can be. She has learnt to scream really loudly to put him off and she has an escape route into the cage next door where he can’t follow. Murphy treats her as a playmate although, like two small children, they have their quarrels that escalate into screaming matches, which funnily enough usually happens around milk feeding time.

Abonema getting to know Osuwake

And we have another new Mona, Action, who was donated to us a few weeks ago. He had a belt tied round his waist to prevent him from going anywhere and the fur underneath had fallen out. He has undergone initial quarantine tests and has joined JB, another Mona. He is happy playing in the space without the shackle of the belt and his fur has started growing back.

JB and Sonic

So as you can see our quarantine babies have been busy and keeping US busy in the process. I am leaving to go back home next week and will sorely miss all my babies and their antics.

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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.

chief-owai.mov
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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