Facts about Black & White Colobus Monkeys in Nyungwe Forest National Park
Facts about Black & White Colobus Monkeys in Nyungwe Forest National Park
Facts about Black & White Colobus Monkeys in Nyungwe Forest National Park : Colobus monkeys form a distinct super group in Nyungwe and are easily identified by their black and white coloring and long hair – a wildlife photographer’s dream. In Nyungwe, you can also see owl-faced monkeys with beak-like noses, Dent’s monkeys, blue monkeys, and vervets.
Nyungwe, one of Africa’s oldest rainforests, is rich in biodiversity and breathtakingly beautiful. The mountainous region is teeming with wildlife, including a small population of chimps and 12 other primate species, including the Albertine Rift’s endemic L’Hoest monkeys.
Visitors can sample the delights of the forest or indulge themselves for a week or more in one of Africa’s most stunning forests, with 15 trails and a variety of other activities.
The black-and-white colobus monkey is an Old World monkey, which refers to monkeys from Africa and Asia. Central Africa is home to the black-and-white colobus monkey. They are distinguished by their black and white coloring, as well as their long white fur on their backs. They are unique in that they have no thumbs and only four fingers on each hand. Some people have a thumb that is only partially used.
Habitat
Their habitat includes everything from tropical forest to dry forests and scrubland. Black-and-white colobus monkeys are highly arboreal and spend the majority of their time in the trees when in dense forest. In less dense forest, however, they will travel along the ground. Colobus monkeys spend the majority of their time searching for food and resting.
This widespread species may be found from Nigeria to Cameroon, then east through the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Small pockets of it can also be found in Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
They live in mixed male-female groupings of 8-15 people. An adult male, numerous females, and their progeny will be present. Females stick together and establish intimate connections with one another. Young males leave the group before they reach maturity and either join another group of young males or live alone until they can take over a female group.
Gestation
The baby colobus monkey is around 6 months old and has a pink face covered with white fur. It begins to change color about 1 month and achieves the black-and-white adult coloring around 3 months.
Sexual Development
The Black and White colobus monkeys are sexually activity between 4 to 6 years; no specific breeding season, however most mating likely happens during the wet season. Every 20 months, a female will give birth.
There appears to be a dominating male, but no obvious dominance among female members. Female relationships are termed resident-egalitarian since there is less competition and hostility among them inside their own groups. Juveniles are considered as lower-ranking (in terms of authority) than sub adults, and vice versa when sub adults are compared to adults. Black and White Colobus monkeys do not have any seasonal breeding trends.
Life Expectancy
The life expectancy of black and white colobus monkeys in Nyungwe Forest national park is believed to be approximately 22 years on average. However, some can live up to 30 years.
Diet
The black-and-white colobus monkey eats mostly leaves. Young leaves account for more than half of the diet, with older leaves (12.5 percent), fruit (13.5 percent), and flowers accounting for the remainder (2 percent). They have a big stomach that includes specific bacteria that help them break down the leaves they eat.
Social Behaviors
When members of the group are reunited with known individuals, they often engage in a welcome ritual as a kind of reaffirmation. The approaching monkey performs the greeting behavior, which is frequently followed by grooming. They engage in three types of physical welcoming behaviors. Mounting, head mounting (grasps the shoulders), and hugging are all examples of this. It appears that these behaviors have nothing to do with mating or courtship.
The sleeping habits of black-and-white colobus are complicated. They sleep in trees near food sources, which might conserve energy. Groups appear to alter sleeping locations on a frequent basis (indicated owing to reduced parasite risk and placement prediction) and typically do not sleep near other groups. They also tend to sleep closer together on nights when there is a lot of light.
They sleep in the middle to high reaches of large trees, where they can keep an eye on predators and defend themselves from both ground and aerial predators. Although there is no clear preference for tree type, it has been seen in Antiaris toxicaria on several occasions.
Threats to their existence in the wild.
The black-and-white colobus monkey is locally endangered yet widespread. The IUCN does not consider them to be endangered. However, habitat degradation and poaching have a detrimental impact on the population.
Conservation of Black and White Colobus Monkeys in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
They are vulnerable to numerous forest predators and are threatened by bushmeat hunting, deforestation, and habitat degradation.
Individuals are more alert (conspecific danger) in low canopy, and they spend less time scanning when they are near familiar group members than new group members.
There is no discernible difference in attentiveness between men and women. There is, however, a positive relationship between mean monthly vigilance and encounter rates. During mating, male alertness typically increases.
Tracking Black and White Colobus Monkeys in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Tracking begins at 5.30 a.m. and can span anywhere from an hour to several hours depending on where the chimps are – guests are only allowed to spend one hour with them once they are located.
Cost of Tracking Black and White Colobus Monkeys in Nyungwe Forest National Park.
Tracking Black and White Colobus monkeys in Nyungwe Forest national park costs $60 per person for foreign non-residents. You can book your permit at the RDB offices in Kigali or through a trusted tour company like Explore Rwanda Tours.
