SAMMY THE DEBRAZZA'S MONKEY - 2000 -- Working with KWS to Release a Rare Kenyan Primate
In
July 2000, the Colobus Trust reintroduced a juvenile deBrazza’s monkey
into the national park in Kitale, western Kenya. The Colobus Trust and
KWS rescued the subject in 1999 when she was then six months old.
She had been kept with others in an illegal confinement in Kitale where
they were crowded, fed on poor diet, in distress and fear. She was then
transferred a volunteer keeper for specialized care and stayed with her
for one year.
Before her release, the Colobus Trust together with IPR,
KWS and EAWLS conducted a survey of the site for release. A Population
census was carried out for the whole of Saiwa swamp national park and
adjoining forest to establish the distribution of the De Brazza’s
monkeys and identify a suitable troop for reintroduction. This was
followed by a habituation phase with gradual introduction to the wild
diet and lasted 12 days. The observations started at 0600hrs to 1800hrs.
The observations were ad lib, scan and focal. Recording was done at 5min
interval.
The deBrazza’s monkey was released on 18th July 2000, and followed
for one day. The monkey was followed for 1350 hours after release.
The individual spent most time on the road and half as much in the tree
canopy. The deBrazza’s monkey was released into a suitable troop;
further monitoring shall be undertaken to ensure the completion and
success of the release.
The
results of this undertaking show that there is a rapidly diminishing
riverine forest occasioned by subsistence farms and charcoal kilns, as
such the non-human primate inhabitants have been displaced, engendering
severe human-non-human primate conflict with a severe impact on the
non-human primate, subsequently as the habitat diminishes the
conservation status of the endemic and locally endangered subspecies is
aggravated further.
This species is in danger, requiring a comprehensive conservation
management plan. The reintroduction was successful, as the subject was
not reunited to the conspecifics and the population at the release site
ascertained. There is need for work in future to monitor changes in the
riverine ecosystem supporting Cercopithecus neglectus Schlegel for the
conservation efforts to be considered as successful.
Post-release monitoring was carried out in January 2001 for one week to
evaluate the rehabilitation success. Unfortunately, the monkey was not
found during this time which leaves many unanswered questions.
The Colobus Trust plans to provide baseline information for primate
rehabilitation, as an in situ conservation strategy formulation centre,
our protocol shall provide vital information and intends to discourage
captive breeding as a conservation tool for the species studied.
WAKULUZU: FRIENDS OF THE COLOBUS TRUST
P.O. Box 5380, 80401 Diani Beach, Kenya
Tel/Fax: + 254 (0) 40 320 3519
Email: info@colobustrust.org
In
July 2000, the Colobus Trust reintroduced a juvenile deBrazza’s monkey
into the national park in Kitale, western Kenya. The Colobus Trust and
KWS rescued the subject in 1999 when she was then six months old.
She had been kept with others in an illegal confinement in Kitale where
they were crowded, fed on poor diet, in distress and fear. She was then
transferred a volunteer keeper for specialized care and stayed with her
for one year.
The
results of this undertaking show that there is a rapidly diminishing
riverine forest occasioned by subsistence farms and charcoal kilns, as
such the non-human primate inhabitants have been displaced, engendering
severe human-non-human primate conflict with a severe impact on the
non-human primate, subsequently as the habitat diminishes the
conservation status of the endemic and locally endangered subspecies is
aggravated further.
The Colobus Trust plans to provide baseline information for primate
rehabilitation, as an in situ conservation strategy formulation centre,
our protocol shall provide vital information and intends to discourage
captive breeding as a conservation tool for the species studied.