The Angolan black and white Colobus monkey has black hair with a white brow band, cheeks, and throat. Long haired white epaulettes stream from the shoulders. The lower part of the tail is white as is the band on the buttocks. This subspecies, the palliatus, can only be found in the southern Kenyan coastal forests and the northern Tanzanian highlands. Although the palliatus were previously found along the entire coast, deforestation in the northern parts have resulted in their restriction to isolated pockets of forests south of Mombasa. Travelling further inland, the Guereza black and white Colobus occur. These are much bigger, have longer coats, have a full cape of white hair around their backs and full bushy white tail.

Here in Diani over 400 Angolan Colobus monkeys were identified in 2004 - the highest known concentration of this species. Overall, there are an estimated 2000 of this species. Listed as data deficit in the IUCN red data list, the Angolan Colobus is believed to be largely endangered in Kenya because of its declining numbers in association with the fragmentation of forests along the coast. The Colobus Trust censuses were the first ever-completed in Kenya, and will be instrumental in establishing its 'rarity' status for IUCN. 

Angolan Black and White Colobus	Abyssinian Black and White Colobus	Tana River Red Colobus	Zanzibar Red Colobus
Colobus angolensis ssp palliatus	Colobus guereza ssp occidentalis	Procolobus badius ssp tephrosceles	Procolobus badius ssp kirkii

Note: Taxonomy of many primate species is disputed throughout the world.  This is based on the World Conservation Union (ICUN) Status Survey and Conservation Primate Specialist Group.

As are all Colobus, the Angolan Colobus monkey is diurnal, they have flattened nails, pads on their buttocks, and their hind legs are longer than their fore limbs. These are typical characteristics of old world monkeys. However, the specific features of Colobines are due to their unique dietary adaptations.

Colobus eat mostly leaves (and some fruits and flowers), have no cheek pouches, are arboreal (live in the tree canopy and rarely come down to the ground) and have a light-weight bone structure and elongated limbs - making it easier to leap from branch to branch. Additionally, the Colobus have no thumbs though they retain an opposable big toe. "Colobus" in fact acquired their name from the Greek word "kolobos" meaning maimed or mutilated. The reduction of the thumb is an adaptation to arboreal living as the fingers have become aligned into a single, narrow curved arc that allows the hand to act as a flexible hook.

Their stomach is large and has three chambers, which carries specific bacteria that helps to ferment and digest leaves, similar to rumination of, for example, cows. The majority of their diet is made up of young and mature leaves - 46 species eaten but only five species make the greatest proportion of their diet. Because of the poor nutritional quality of their food, they browse intensively for many hours each day. They digest two to three kg of leaves per day (one third of their full body weight), and also eat seeds, unripe fruits and flowers. Some species of Colobus are known to eat soil, clay and charcoal which is thought to assist in the digestion of toxic leaves.

In Diani, Colobus are rarely a pest to tourists as they do not eat human food and remain in the tree canopy. Due to their dependence on forests they are a true "flagship" species in which the overall health of the forest can be gauged.

Infants are born strikingly white, and then turn grey and black and then by three months of age, to the adult colouration of black and white. They are born throughout the year but a birth peak is seen in September and October. Colobine infants are known for their flamboyant colouration, which is remarkably different than the adult. This is considered an adaptation for encouraging 'aunting behaviour' where other females in the group are attracted to the newborn and spend time caring for the young. This supposedly frees up maternal time for feeding. As is known amongst the Colobines, the nutritional value to their diet is low and the stresses of rearing offspring puts enormous pressure on the female. Aunting behaviour thus counteracts the burden of nursing.

Females remain in their natal troops for life. The dominant male defends the territory and troop from predators whereas the dominant female leads the troop. Young males leave their natal troop to start bachelor groups or to travel alone until they are able to take over their own troop.

24 Endangered Colobus died between Sept. 2005-Aug. 2006 that went through our animal welfare program. This does not include any Colobus that died/were killed and were not reported to the Colobus Trust.