Colobus Monkey Conservation

PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND ESSENTIAL DUTIES :

• Animal Welfare : The main aim of the animal welfare program is to mitigate and lessen the negative impact that humans have on Diani’s primates (Angolan Colobus monkeys, Sykes monkeys, vervet monkeys, Yellow Baboons). These negative impacts include injuries and deaths from road traffic accidents (usually hit and run), electrocutions, poisoning, dog bites and snares. One of our main aims is to rescue and rehabilitate primates and provide them with a second chance in life.

Colobus Conservation operates a 24 hour primate emergency rescue service within Diani, Kenya. The animal welfare team strives to respond to all cases within twenty minutes of them being reported. If an animal is injured in any way, we assess the situation and follow up to ensure that the treatment involves the least stress to the animal and is appropriate for the situation.We quickly organize our team of trained staff; resident vet and the rescue equipment: portable cage, sheet, towel, tough gloves, sisal twine, fruit and maize bait, and the darting kit, darts and tranquilizer. Injured monkeys are taken to our veterinary clinic at our rescue and rehabilitation centre where our Veterinarian assesses the monkey's condition and prepares it for surgery if required.The center follows strict animal care protocols, with quarantine being an extremely important process. All animals brought into the center have to go through quarantine for a minimum of 90 days before introduction to center troops going through rehabilitation. This is the minimum time needed to test for diseases of concern, as well as time required for the animals infested with any disease of concern to manifest itself.
Road Injuries & Mortalities In 1971, Diani's Beach Road was built which bisected the pristine coral rag forest.  As development increased, vehicle traffic also increased and monkeys crossing the road became at risk of road injuries and mortalities.  During the dry seasons the numbers of individuals being hit by vehicles increases, as this is the time of reduced food availability and the monkeys need to increase their foraging areas and subsequently cross the road more often in search for food, water and sleeping sites. Vervets get hit more often during the high tourist season.
On average 55 monkeys are hit by vehicles each year while crossing this nine kilometer stretch of road.Colobus Conservation works to reduce these statistics by painting speed bumps, building aerial ladders(Colobridges) across the road and providing a general 'go slow' campaign. You can help us tackle this problem by making donation towards the annual maintenance of our Colobridges
Habitat Loss & Reforestation Reforestation:
Colobus Conservation works with communities to conserve and regenerate indigenous forest; protecting the remnant patches in south eastern Kenya for their unique endemism as well as for the colobus monkeys.
Tree Planting Workshops:
To help address the huge amount of deforestation in the area, Colobus Conservation organizes workshops in partnership with local schools and businesses to plant a minimum of 500 indigenous trees per session in selected fragmented patches within Diani. Our workshops coincide with the rains in June and November.

We also have a well-stocked tree nursery at the center where the local community can come and purchase indigenous trees to plant on their properties, and help restore the natural habitat.
To support the community in selecting the right trees for the land where they plan to plant, we have a detailed indigenous tree species catalogue and experienced forestry staff onsite to answer any questions and provide advice.

Primate Electrocutions
Electrocutions account for about 20% of the injury and mortality statistics in the Diani area as a percentage of all our animal welfare call-outs. Data on primate electrocutions has been collected since 1997.  Comparing the monthly number of call-outs for electrocution injuries and deaths through the years, it was found that significantly more electrocutions occur in months with lower rainfall. This is reasonable, as during these months the primates use the power line infrastructure to move between tree canopies when vegetation is at its lowest. The power lines act as connectors between trees especially in this suburban setting, attracting primates onto the lines in areas where trees have been cut down.

Colobus Conservation works in collaboration with the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC). In 2017, KPLC removed 12 km of uninsulated power lines in Diani and replaced them with insulated lines. They also moved transformers which given their location, were causing multiple primate electrocutions.

Education Through education workshops Colobus Conservation promotes awareness of conservation and primate issues in the local community and to schools and students of all ages. Every year we work with thirty six schools in the Kwale County of south eastern Kenya bringing each school to our facilities every week. Annually, more than 1,000 children attend these workshops with about thirty children attending from each school. Our trained staff led games and activities as the children fill in a workbook that they carry with them and take with them at the end of the day. The workshop encourages the children to appreciate the natural environment and to take an interest in wildlife and its conservation.  We provide the program free of charge for all schools within our mandate and have specific itineraries for kindergarten, lower primary, upper primary and secondary students. We have also been involved in setting up wildlife clubs in some of the local schools, assisting with building classrooms and providing books, and specific teacher-training on wildlife issues.

Poaching Poaching is illegal in Kenya and liable to a conviction of a fine not less than two hundred thousand shillings or to imprisonment of a term not less than one year or to both.
Colobus Conservation, together with Kenya Wildlife Service works to inform and educate the community of the implications of poaching. In addition, the team conducts de-snaring activities in the area, dismantling and removing traps and snares laid to capture primates and other wildlife.

Community
Colobus Conservation’s community projects focus on achieving a safe haven for both the primates and humans living in Diani. We do this by promoting positive aesthetic interactions between the residents, local community and the primates. With less than 400 Colobus monkeys left in Diani, it is vital for all the stake holders to come together to preserve this unique species and it’s diminishing habitat. Colobus conservation prides itself in providing the resources, knowledge and advice, to the local community so they can play a part in monkey protection, increase in welfare standards, habitat preservation and ensure peaceful co-existence.

Although primates are sometimes deemed as ‘pests’ Colobus Conservation is working with the business owners, local communities and the residents to provide a pest prescription booklet which provides humane counter measures to prevent negative interactions between humans and primates.
Together with other wildlife stakeholders, the team makes regular visits to the community in an effort to raise awareness, and gain a better understanding of the challenges they are having with their primate neighbors. We are currently exploring ways by which the community, and Colobus Conservation, can jointly carry out projects that will not only socially support the community, but also raise a wider awareness around the importance of conservation of the primates in Diani and their habitats.