Website for AfricaSkyBlue Wildlife Research Foundation
WILDLIFE RESEARCH IN THE REMOTE WILDERNESS AREAS OF AFRICA
    There are 5 primate species in South Africa, 2 Galagidae
    ("bushbabies"), and 3 Cercopithecidae, namely chacma baboon, vervet
    monkey and samango monkey. As a result of forest reduction, the
    two southern African subspecies of samango monkey, Cercopithecus
    m. erythrarchus and C.m labiatus, have experienced a 50% population
    decline in South Africa over the last 100 years. The latter subspecies is
    endemic to South Africa and is listed as endangered. In essence, the
    samango monkey project will determine whether C.m. labiatus
    populations centered around Hogsback, Eastern Cape, are in need of
    active conservation management, and how this may be achieved; and
    whether ecological differences between the 2 southern subspecies
    justify their taxonomic differentiation. Brief methods include monitoring
    two troops, with variable access to food resources associated with
    human settlement (e.g. oak trees), over 1 year. Ear tags will ensure
    individual identification, while radio-collars on 4 individuals per troop will
    enable us to locate the troops to record behavioral, feeding and spatial
    data. Forest condition and fruit availability will be assessed.

    Background information:
    The samango monkey has an uncertain taxonomic status, as it is termed Cercopithecus mitis or C. albogularis by various authors (e.g. Kingdon et
    al. 2008 and Skinner & Chimimba 2005 respectively). Furthermore, C. albogularis has 2 subspecies (Skinner & Chimimba 2005), while C. mitis is
    said to have 17 (Kingdon et al. 2008). This taxonomic issue could be detrimental to conservation of the samango monkey, as “species” are the
    subject of conservation programs, not “subspecies” or “populations” (Myers et al. 2000). The IUCN Red List is a good example of this, because C.
    mitis is listed as “Least Concern” and thus not a priority for conservation (Kingdon et al. 2008), but several subspecies are listed as endangered and
    critically endangered (Anon 2009). Subspecies need to be conserved to protect the loss of genetic diversity in the species, as this diversity is an
    essential part of biodiversity conservation (Gaston & Spicer 2004). In this study, we set out to conserve a sub-species, and use the species epithet
    C. mitis, as it is the name recognised by the IUCN (Kingdon et al. 2008; Anon 2009).


    C. mitis occurs throughout Africa, extending from Ethiopia to South Africa, but is restricted to forest habitat in these areas (Estes 1999; Skinner &
    Chimimba 2005; Kingdon et al. 2008). Forest fragmentation and deforestation are the main causes of population decline (Smithers 1986; Kingdon et
    al. 2008). C. mitis is an arboreal guenon, typically living in large (up to 45 individuals) multi-female, single-male troops (Cords 1995; Estes 1999;
    Skinner & Chimimba 2005; Kingdon et al. 2008). It is primarily a frugivore, with 50% of its diet consisting of fruit (Lawes 1991; Kaplin et al. 1998), but
    leaves (26%, Lawes 1991) or insects (25%, Kaplin et al. 1998) are the main source of protein (Lawes 1991). Seeds, flowers and fungi are also eaten
    (Lawes 1991, Kaplin et al. 1998). Samango monkeys eat a variety of plants, but prefer to concentrate on a few species (e.g. 3 out of 59 species,
    Kaplin et al. 1998), and thus their population density is generally dependent on plant species richness and diversity (Lawes 1992). Most studies on C.
    mitis have involved C.m. stuhlmanni in Uganda (e.g. Struhsaker & Leland 1979; Butynski 1990) and Kenya (e.g. Cords 1986; Pazol 2003), C.m.
    doggetti in Rwanda (e.g. Kaplin 2001) and C.m. nyasae in Malawi (e.g. Beeson 1989), while relatively few authors have studied the southern African
    subspecies C.m. erythrarchus (e.g. Lawes 1991) and C.m labiatus (e.g. Breytenbach 1988; Lawes et al. 1990). These southern subspecies both
    occur in the Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa, but C.m. labiatus is limited to Afromontane and coastal scarp forests, and its
    range extends southwards to the Eastern Cape province (Lawes 1990; Kingdon et al. 2008). C.m. erythrarchus occupies coastal belt forests
    (excluding scarp forests) and its range extends northwards as far as southern Malawi (Lawes 1990; Kingdon et al. 2008). C.m. labiatus lives at lower
    densities, and in smaller forest patches (average 422.5 ha) than C.m. erythrarchus (average 825.5 ha) (Lawes 1992).


    There has been an estimated 50% population decline of these two subspecies in South Africa over the last 100 years as a result of forest reduction,
    which has resulted in populations in KwaZulu-Natal being confined to small (<1000 ha) forest fragments (Lawes 1992). Lawes (1992) believes that
    these monkeys are in need of conservation measures, such as the preservation of the forest habitat and management of existing populations. While
    C.m. erythrarchus is listed as least concern by the IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group, C.m labiatus is listed internationally as vulnerable (Anon
    2009), but endangered in South Africa according to the Red Data Book of the Mammals of South Africa (Friedman & Daly 2004). Furthermore, since
    the latter subspecies is locally adapted to high altitude, Afromontane mist belt forests, unlike the rest of C. mitis, which inhabit the sub-tropical and
    equatorial forests (Kingdon et al. 2008), there is clearly a need to conserve this subspecies, especially in terms of contributing to an understanding of
    the genetic diversity of the species.

    Aims:
    1) To assess the spatial, feeding and behavioural ecology of C.m. labiatus troops in Hogsback
    to determine whether the forest provides adequate food and habitat to support them, especially
    during seasonal periods of food shortage. We will investigate the cause of some troops living
    outside the forests, in the town of Hogsback, to determine whether they are simply opportunistic
    feeders feeding on easily available food items (e.g. acorns), or are being forced to do so
    because resources in the forest are limited. Dietary comparisons will be made with data
    published on C.m. labiatus populations further north (e.g. Lawes et al. 1990).  Development of
    a conservation plan will fall under this aim.

    2) To determine whether there are differences in troop composition and size, and differences in
    foraging ecology between troops with variable access to food resources associated with human
    settlement (e.g. oak trees). Studies of baboons and vervet monkeys show that primates with
    access to non-wild food from a garbage dump spent less time feeding, more time resting
    (Altmann and Muruthi 1988) and occurred at higher densities (Brennan et al. 1985) than wild
    populations. Investigation into ways of mitigating human-wildlife conflict will fall under this aim.

    3) To provide data on the spatial, feeding and behavioral ecology of a C.m. labiatus population
    that can be compared with the published accounts for C.m. erythrarchus.  These 2 subspecies
    occupy different habitats, and especially different altitudes (Lawes 1992), but seem to have
    similar diets (Lawes et al. 1990). Preliminary data analyses by a student at the University of
    Fort Hare (supervised by Prof Judith Masters and Dr Fabien Génin) suggest marked skeletal
    differences between the subspecies, even though only slight visible differences exist (e.g. red
    hairs only present on base of tail of C.m. erythrarchus, Skinner & Chimimba 2005). Ecological
    comparison between the subspecies will thus help in developing and implementing conservation
    action that is either specific to each subspecies or general for this southern taxa.
Aerial view of the Samango Monkey Project study area - 2009
Vervet monkey with collar fitted prior to release from
rehabilitation centre - 2007
Zingcuka forest from above. Note the emergent yellowwood trees - 2009.
Male Samngo Monkey in Higsback Village- 2009
Baby vervet monkey in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania -
2009
Baby baboons playing togther in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania - 2009
Male samango monkey in oak tree - 2009
Aerial view of Hogsback study area - 2009
Updated:  3/04/2010
Administrator:  Dr. Steve Boyes  BScFor (NatCon) MEnvDev(PAM) PhD Zoology
DST/NRF Centre of Excellence Postdoctoral Fellow: Percy FitzPatrick Institute
University of Cape Town, South Africa
E-mail:  boyes@africaskyblue.org
          steve.boyes@bigfig.com
          rs.boyes@uct.ac.za
Dr. Wimberger, I presume?
Samango Monkey kept as a pet in a cage - 2007