Focal Primates
West African Primate Conservation Action (WAPCA) focuses on four species whose natural habitat occurs in West Africa.
White-naped Mangabey, Cercocebus lunulatus
The white-naped mangabey is a medium- to large-sized, semi-terrestrial monkey. It has a slender body, grey fur with a white undercarriage, and a distinctive white half-moon patch on its crown. It also has striking white eyelids and a dark dorsal stripe.
Its geographical range once extended from west of the Sassandra River in western Côte d’Ivoire to the Volta River in eastern Ghana. It was also present in southern Burkina Faso; however, it is now restricted to a small number of locations across its former range.
White-naped mangabeys live in large multi-male, multi-female groups and use a variety of calls. Their diet consists mainly of fruit, seeds, and insects. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the white-naped mangabey as Endangered. Populations have been in decline for the past 40 years due to habitat loss and poaching.
Roloway Monkey, Cercopithecus roloway
One of the most striking African primates is the Roloway monkey. Their skin is black on the face, hands, and feet, as is the hair on the head, belly, and outer arms and legs. The inner limbs are white, while the lower back is dark reddish. A long white beard and a yellow pubic patch distinguish them from the closely related Diana monkey.
Historically, Roloway monkeys ranged from east of the Sassandra River in Côte d’Ivoire to western Ghana. Today, however, they survive only in the Tanoé Forest in Côte d’Ivoire and the Kwabre Forest in Ghana.
Roloways are arboreal primates that live in single-male, multi-female groups of 15–25 individuals. They are sometimes associated with other guenon species. Their diet consists mainly of fruits, insects, and young leaves. The IUCN lists the Roloway monkey as Critically Endangered due to hunting and the loss of its forest habitat.
Miss Waldron's Colobus, Procolobus waldroni
Miss Waldron’s colobus is an arboreal primate with a slim body and long limbs. Its coat shows two predominant colours: black and rich red-brown. The face and legs are entirely red, while the back, tail, and outer side of the arms from shoulder to elbow are black.
Historically, its geographical range extended from south-eastern Côte d’Ivoire to south-western Ghana. In the 1990s, the only evidence of its survival came from swamp forests in a small corner of south-eastern Côte d’Ivoire. Today, it is considered extinct.
Miss Waldron’s colobus lived in groups of up to 80 individuals and preferred the upper forest canopy. Its diet was mainly composed of leaves, supplemented with fruits, seeds, and flowers. The IUCN listed the species as Critically Endangered in 20000 due to habitat loss, hunting, and a severely reduced population size. Since then, there have been no confirmed sightings in the wild, and it is now regarded as possibly extinct.
White-thighed Black & White Colobus, Colobus vellerosus
This is a large arboreal monkey with a predominantly black body and limbs, and a pure white tail. White hair surrounds its black face, extending from below the chin to the temples and across the brow. Silvery-white patches cover the outer thighs, and there is white hair around the sitting pads.
Adult body length ranges from 60–70 cm, with tails measuring 75–90 cm. Males weigh an average of 8.5 kg, while females average 7 kg.
The colobus has a distinctive, loud, roar-like call. Historically, its range extended from between the Sassandra and Bandama rivers in Côte d’Ivoire eastwards through Ghana, Togo, and Benin to the western edge of Nigeria. Today, it has been largely eradicated from much of this range due to habitat loss and hunting.
The colobus would once have been found in many forest types, from moist coastal forests and semi-deciduous woodlands to dry forests and riverbank forests within the savanna zone.
Colobus monkeys are predominantly leaf-eaters, with leaves making up 85–96% of their diet, supplemented by flowers and seeds. This species is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN on the 2021 Red List of Threatened Species.
Permission to use illustrations kindly given by the artist Stephen Nash