#colobus — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #colobus, aggregated by home.social.
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetectives
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/07/27/protecting-the-rare-precious-red-colobus-will-safeguard-africas-forests/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/07/27/protecting-the-rare-precious-red-colobus-will-safeguard-africas-forests/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/07/27/protecting-the-rare-precious-red-colobus-will-safeguard-africas-forests/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/07/27/protecting-the-rare-precious-red-colobus-will-safeguard-africas-forests/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/07/27/protecting-the-rare-precious-red-colobus-will-safeguard-africas-forests/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/07/27/protecting-the-rare-precious-red-colobus-will-safeguard-africas-forests/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/07/27/protecting-the-rare-precious-red-colobus-will-safeguard-africas-forests/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect.bsky.social https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/07/27/protecting-the-rare-precious-red-colobus-will-safeguard-africas-forests/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/07/27/protecting-the-rare-precious-red-colobus-will-safeguard-africas-forests/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/07/27/protecting-the-rare-precious-red-colobus-will-safeguard-africas-forests/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/07/27/protecting-the-rare-precious-red-colobus-will-safeguard-africas-forests/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer
-
You’ve likely never heard of the curious Red #Colobus, #WestAfrica’s rarest #primate 🐒🐵🙉 Researchers now know that protecting them and the #rainforest will protect all other rare #species. Fight for their survival! #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2025/07/27/protecting-the-rare-precious-red-colobus-will-safeguard-africas-forests/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer
-
One of #WestAfrica and the world's most endangered #primates 🐵you've never heard of is the enchanting Western Red #Colobus of #SierraLeone 🇸🇱 #Liberia 🇱🇷 #PalmOil 🌴☠️ and #poaching are major threats. #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/western-red-colobus-piliocolobus-badius/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=Palm+Oil+Detectives&utm_campaign=publer
-
This cutie was happy to pose for a portrait!
#tanzania #arushanationalpark
#colobus #wildlife #monkey -
Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius
Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius
Status: Endangered (IUCN 2020)
Location: West Africa – Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and The Gambia
The Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius is one of West Africa’s most #endangered #primates, facing an escalating crisis of habitat loss and overhunting. Once abundant in mature forests across the region, they have been driven to the brink of #extinction by rampant deforestation for charcoal, palm oil and mining and the increasing demand for #bushmeat. Widespread clearing of forests for industrial #palmoil plantations, #mining, and #timber has fragmented their habitat, isolating populations and making them more vulnerable to #poaching. Without urgent intervention, their future remains uncertain. Help them every time you shop and be #vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
One of #WestAfrica and the world’s most endangered #primates 🐵you’ve never heard of is the enchanting Western Red #Colobus of #SierraLeone 🇸🇱 #Liberia 🇱🇷 #PalmOil 🌴☠️ and #poaching are major threats. #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/western-red-colobus-piliocolobus-badius/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterForest clearing in #WestAfrica for #charcoal #palmoil and #mining ⛏️ are threats for the elusive and #endangered #primate 🐵🐒🙈 Western Red #Colobus. Help them to survive, when you shop #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🤢🔥⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/western-red-colobus-piliocolobus-badius/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterAppearance and behaviour
Western Red Colobus are striking primates with a rich reddish-orange coat, contrasting with a darker face and limbs. They are highly social and live in large multi-male, multi-female groups of up to 90 individuals. Their interactions are characterised by grooming, play, and cooperative care of young, which strengthens group cohesion. Unlike some primates, they rely on an intricate vocal system to communicate, warning each other of danger and coordinating group movements.
Primarily arboreal, they move gracefully through the forest canopy, favouring mature, old-growth trees. However, in more northern populations, they have been observed travelling and foraging on the ground, a behaviour that may be increasing due to habitat destruction.
Diet
Western Red Colobus have a specialised diet consisting mainly of fruit, seeds, and young leaves. Unlike many other primates, they rely heavily on digesting leaves, which are fermented in their complex stomachs. This adaptation allows them to survive in environments where fruit is less abundant.
In degraded forests where food availability is low, these primates have been observed consuming cultivated crops such as mango, indicating a level of dietary flexibility. However, reliance on human-grown food brings them into conflict with local communities, increasing their vulnerability to persecution.
The diet of the Western Red Colobus (Piliocolobus badius) and other primates in Africa is shaped by food availability and environmental changes, with significant variation across different regions and seasons. DNA studies have revealed a diverse diet comprising a high richness of plant species, though individuals in fragmented forests consume a greater variety of plants than those in well-preserved habitats. In Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau, 11% of their diet consists of cultivated foods like mango, highlighting their adaptability to human-altered landscapes. However, the long-term consequences of these dietary shifts remain unclear, raising concerns about their ability to sustain populations in degraded habitats (Aleixo-Pais et al., 2023).
Threats
Palm oil, charcoal and mining deforestation
The expansion of industrial palm oil plantations in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Guinea has destroyed vast tracts of forest, replacing diverse ecosystems with monoculture plantations. These plantations provide no habitat for wildlife, forcing colobus monkeys and other African primates such as mandrills and colobuses into increasingly smaller and more fragmented forest patches where survival is difficult.
Hunting for bushmeat
Western Red Colobus are one of the most heavily hunted primate species in West Africa. Their trusting nature and slow movement make them easy targets for hunters. In Guinea-Bissau alone, nearly 200 individuals are killed each dry season to supply urban bushmeat markets. Similar levels of hunting occur across their range, with skins also being sold for ritualistic practices.
Logging and habitat destruction
Deforestation through logging, charcoal production, palm oil and mining has significantly reduced the Western Red Colobus’ habitat. Forest loss in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea has been among the fastest in the world, with Côte d’Ivoire alone losing 17% of its forest cover between 2000 and 2015. Many areas designated as “protected” no longer contain forest, having been converted to plantations.
Civil conflict and human-wildlife conflict
Decades of civil unrest in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have devastated conservation efforts, allowing illegal hunting and habitat destruction to go unchecked. Additionally, as forests disappear, colobus monkeys are increasingly forced to enter agricultural land, where they are viewed as pests and killed in retaliation.
Reproduction and mating
Western Red Colobus do not have a fixed breeding season, and infants are born throughout the year. Newborns are highly dependent on their mothers, clinging to them for warmth and security. While mothers provide most of the direct care, other females in the group often assist in carrying and grooming the young.
Males play a more protective role, defending the group from predators and external threats. Unlike some primates, they do not exhibit strong territorial behaviour but will vocalise aggressively and form defensive group formations when threatened.
Geographic range
Western Red Colobus are found in fragmented populations across West Africa, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and The Gambia. They primarily inhabit primary and secondary forests but can also be found in gallery forests, mangroves, and occasionally in human-modified landscapes.
FAQs
Why are Western Red Colobus endangered?
They are primarily threatened by habitat destruction due to palm oil plantations, logging, and mining, combined with intensive hunting for the bushmeat trade.
Do Western Red Colobus monkeys make good pets?
No. Keeping them as pets is both illegal and unethical. They are highly social, arboreal primates that require vast forest habitats to survive. The illegal pet trade further threatens their already declining populations.
Where can Western Red Colobus be found?
These primates are found in West Africa, including Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia. However, their populations are highly fragmented.
Are Western Red Colobus aggressive?
They are not typically aggressive towards humans but will display defensive behaviours if they feel threatened. They rely on vocalisations and group defence rather than physical confrontation.
How can we help Western Red Colobus?
Protecting their remaining habitat, banning hunting, and supporting conservation efforts are critical to ensuring their survival. Consumers can also help by boycotting products linked to deforestation, such as palm oil and timber.
Take Action!
The fate of the Western Red Colobus and other African primates is inextricably tied to the choices people make every day. By rejecting products that contain palm oil and supporting organisations fighting against illegal hunting and deforestation, individuals can help protect these remarkable primates. Conservation groups working in West Africa urgently need funding and international pressure to push governments to enforce anti-hunting laws and preserve remaining forests. Use your voice and purchasing power to demand change. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
In both Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, more than half of the closed forest in the forest reserves has been converted to plantation or farmland, or cleared and left bare (Bitty et al. 2015).
IUCN Red List
Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius
Support the conservation of this species
Further Information
Aleixo-Pais, et. al. (2023). Dietary flexibility of western red colobus in two protected areas with contrasting anthropogenic pressure. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 11, 1280277. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1280277
McGraw, S., Minhós, T., Bersacola, E., Ferreira da Silva, M.J., Galat, G., Galat-Luong, A., Gonedelé Bi, S., Mayhew, M., Oates, J.F. & Starin, E.D. 2020. Piliocolobus badius. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T161247840A161259430. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T161247840A161259430.en. Downloaded on 15 February 2021.
Linder, J. M. et. al (2021). Red colobus (Piliocolobus) conservation action plan 2021-2026. IUCN/Primate Specialist Group.
Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Western Red Colobus. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_red_colobus
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
Sign Up
Join 1,398 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#Africa #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #bushmeat #charcoal #Colobus #deforestation #endangered #EndangeredSpecies #extinction #Guinea #GuineaBissau #IvoryCoast #IvoryCoast #Liberia #Mammal #mining #palmoil #poaching #Primate #primates #Sierra #SierraLeone #SierraLeone #timber #vegan #WestAfrica #WesternRedColobusPiliocolobusBadius
-
Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius
Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius
Status: Endangered (IUCN 2020)
Location: West Africa – Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and The Gambia
The Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius is one of West Africa’s most #endangered #primates, facing an escalating crisis of habitat loss and overhunting. Once abundant in mature forests across the region, they have been driven to the brink of #extinction by rampant deforestation for charcoal, palm oil and mining and the increasing demand for #bushmeat. Widespread clearing of forests for industrial #palmoil plantations, #mining, and #timber has fragmented their habitat, isolating populations and making them more vulnerable to #poaching. Without urgent intervention, their future remains uncertain. Help them every time you shop and be #vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
One of #WestAfrica and the world’s most endangered #primates 🐵you’ve never heard of is the enchanting Western Red #Colobus of #SierraLeone 🇸🇱 #Liberia 🇱🇷 #PalmOil 🌴☠️ and #poaching are major threats. #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/western-red-colobus-piliocolobus-badius/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterForest clearing in #WestAfrica for #charcoal #palmoil and #mining ⛏️ are threats for the elusive and #endangered #primate 🐵🐒🙈 Western Red #Colobus. Help them to survive, when you shop #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🤢🔥⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/western-red-colobus-piliocolobus-badius/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterAppearance and behaviour
Western Red Colobus are striking primates with a rich reddish-orange coat, contrasting with a darker face and limbs. They are highly social and live in large multi-male, multi-female groups of up to 90 individuals. Their interactions are characterised by grooming, play, and cooperative care of young, which strengthens group cohesion. Unlike some primates, they rely on an intricate vocal system to communicate, warning each other of danger and coordinating group movements.
Primarily arboreal, they move gracefully through the forest canopy, favouring mature, old-growth trees. However, in more northern populations, they have been observed travelling and foraging on the ground, a behaviour that may be increasing due to habitat destruction.
Diet
Western Red Colobus have a specialised diet consisting mainly of fruit, seeds, and young leaves. Unlike many other primates, they rely heavily on digesting leaves, which are fermented in their complex stomachs. This adaptation allows them to survive in environments where fruit is less abundant.
In degraded forests where food availability is low, these primates have been observed consuming cultivated crops such as mango, indicating a level of dietary flexibility. However, reliance on human-grown food brings them into conflict with local communities, increasing their vulnerability to persecution.
The diet of the Western Red Colobus (Piliocolobus badius) and other primates in Africa is shaped by food availability and environmental changes, with significant variation across different regions and seasons. DNA studies have revealed a diverse diet comprising a high richness of plant species, though individuals in fragmented forests consume a greater variety of plants than those in well-preserved habitats. In Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau, 11% of their diet consists of cultivated foods like mango, highlighting their adaptability to human-altered landscapes. However, the long-term consequences of these dietary shifts remain unclear, raising concerns about their ability to sustain populations in degraded habitats (Aleixo-Pais et al., 2023).
Threats
Palm oil, charcoal and mining deforestation
The expansion of industrial palm oil plantations in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Guinea has destroyed vast tracts of forest, replacing diverse ecosystems with monoculture plantations. These plantations provide no habitat for wildlife, forcing colobus monkeys and other African primates such as mandrills and colobuses into increasingly smaller and more fragmented forest patches where survival is difficult.
Hunting for bushmeat
Western Red Colobus are one of the most heavily hunted primate species in West Africa. Their trusting nature and slow movement make them easy targets for hunters. In Guinea-Bissau alone, nearly 200 individuals are killed each dry season to supply urban bushmeat markets. Similar levels of hunting occur across their range, with skins also being sold for ritualistic practices.
Logging and habitat destruction
Deforestation through logging, charcoal production, palm oil and mining has significantly reduced the Western Red Colobus’ habitat. Forest loss in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea has been among the fastest in the world, with Côte d’Ivoire alone losing 17% of its forest cover between 2000 and 2015. Many areas designated as “protected” no longer contain forest, having been converted to plantations.
Civil conflict and human-wildlife conflict
Decades of civil unrest in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have devastated conservation efforts, allowing illegal hunting and habitat destruction to go unchecked. Additionally, as forests disappear, colobus monkeys are increasingly forced to enter agricultural land, where they are viewed as pests and killed in retaliation.
Reproduction and mating
Western Red Colobus do not have a fixed breeding season, and infants are born throughout the year. Newborns are highly dependent on their mothers, clinging to them for warmth and security. While mothers provide most of the direct care, other females in the group often assist in carrying and grooming the young.
Males play a more protective role, defending the group from predators and external threats. Unlike some primates, they do not exhibit strong territorial behaviour but will vocalise aggressively and form defensive group formations when threatened.
Geographic range
Western Red Colobus are found in fragmented populations across West Africa, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and The Gambia. They primarily inhabit primary and secondary forests but can also be found in gallery forests, mangroves, and occasionally in human-modified landscapes.
FAQs
Why are Western Red Colobus endangered?
They are primarily threatened by habitat destruction due to palm oil plantations, logging, and mining, combined with intensive hunting for the bushmeat trade.
Do Western Red Colobus monkeys make good pets?
No. Keeping them as pets is both illegal and unethical. They are highly social, arboreal primates that require vast forest habitats to survive. The illegal pet trade further threatens their already declining populations.
Where can Western Red Colobus be found?
These primates are found in West Africa, including Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia. However, their populations are highly fragmented.
Are Western Red Colobus aggressive?
They are not typically aggressive towards humans but will display defensive behaviours if they feel threatened. They rely on vocalisations and group defence rather than physical confrontation.
How can we help Western Red Colobus?
Protecting their remaining habitat, banning hunting, and supporting conservation efforts are critical to ensuring their survival. Consumers can also help by boycotting products linked to deforestation, such as palm oil and timber.
Take Action!
The fate of the Western Red Colobus and other African primates is inextricably tied to the choices people make every day. By rejecting products that contain palm oil and supporting organisations fighting against illegal hunting and deforestation, individuals can help protect these remarkable primates. Conservation groups working in West Africa urgently need funding and international pressure to push governments to enforce anti-hunting laws and preserve remaining forests. Use your voice and purchasing power to demand change. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
In both Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, more than half of the closed forest in the forest reserves has been converted to plantation or farmland, or cleared and left bare (Bitty et al. 2015).
IUCN Red List
Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius
Support the conservation of this species
Further Information
Aleixo-Pais, et. al. (2023). Dietary flexibility of western red colobus in two protected areas with contrasting anthropogenic pressure. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 11, 1280277. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1280277
McGraw, S., Minhós, T., Bersacola, E., Ferreira da Silva, M.J., Galat, G., Galat-Luong, A., Gonedelé Bi, S., Mayhew, M., Oates, J.F. & Starin, E.D. 2020. Piliocolobus badius. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T161247840A161259430. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T161247840A161259430.en. Downloaded on 15 February 2021.
Linder, J. M. et. al (2021). Red colobus (Piliocolobus) conservation action plan 2021-2026. IUCN/Primate Specialist Group.
Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Western Red Colobus. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_red_colobus
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
Sign Up
Join 1,398 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#Africa #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #bushmeat #charcoal #Colobus #deforestation #endangered #EndangeredSpecies #extinction #Guinea #GuineaBissau #IvoryCoast #IvoryCoast #Liberia #Mammal #mining #palmoil #poaching #Primate #primates #Sierra #SierraLeone #SierraLeone #timber #vegan #WestAfrica #WesternRedColobusPiliocolobusBadius
-
Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius
Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius
Status: Endangered (IUCN 2020)
Location: West Africa – Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and The Gambia
The Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius is one of West Africa’s most #endangered #primates, facing an escalating crisis of habitat loss and overhunting. Once abundant in mature forests across the region, they have been driven to the brink of #extinction by rampant deforestation for charcoal, palm oil and mining and the increasing demand for #bushmeat. Widespread clearing of forests for industrial #palmoil plantations, #mining, and #timber has fragmented their habitat, isolating populations and making them more vulnerable to #poaching. Without urgent intervention, their future remains uncertain. Help them every time you shop and be #vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
One of #WestAfrica and the world’s most endangered #primates 🐵you’ve never heard of is the enchanting Western Red #Colobus of #SierraLeone 🇸🇱 #Liberia 🇱🇷 #PalmOil 🌴☠️ and #poaching are major threats. #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/western-red-colobus-piliocolobus-badius/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterForest clearing in #WestAfrica for #charcoal #palmoil and #mining ⛏️ are threats for the elusive and #endangered #primate 🐵🐒🙈 Western Red #Colobus. Help them to survive, when you shop #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🤢🔥⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/western-red-colobus-piliocolobus-badius/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterAppearance and behaviour
Western Red Colobus are striking primates with a rich reddish-orange coat, contrasting with a darker face and limbs. They are highly social and live in large multi-male, multi-female groups of up to 90 individuals. Their interactions are characterised by grooming, play, and cooperative care of young, which strengthens group cohesion. Unlike some primates, they rely on an intricate vocal system to communicate, warning each other of danger and coordinating group movements.
Primarily arboreal, they move gracefully through the forest canopy, favouring mature, old-growth trees. However, in more northern populations, they have been observed travelling and foraging on the ground, a behaviour that may be increasing due to habitat destruction.
Diet
Western Red Colobus have a specialised diet consisting mainly of fruit, seeds, and young leaves. Unlike many other primates, they rely heavily on digesting leaves, which are fermented in their complex stomachs. This adaptation allows them to survive in environments where fruit is less abundant.
In degraded forests where food availability is low, these primates have been observed consuming cultivated crops such as mango, indicating a level of dietary flexibility. However, reliance on human-grown food brings them into conflict with local communities, increasing their vulnerability to persecution.
The diet of the Western Red Colobus (Piliocolobus badius) and other primates in Africa is shaped by food availability and environmental changes, with significant variation across different regions and seasons. DNA studies have revealed a diverse diet comprising a high richness of plant species, though individuals in fragmented forests consume a greater variety of plants than those in well-preserved habitats. In Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau, 11% of their diet consists of cultivated foods like mango, highlighting their adaptability to human-altered landscapes. However, the long-term consequences of these dietary shifts remain unclear, raising concerns about their ability to sustain populations in degraded habitats (Aleixo-Pais et al., 2023).
Threats
Palm oil, charcoal and mining deforestation
The expansion of industrial palm oil plantations in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Guinea has destroyed vast tracts of forest, replacing diverse ecosystems with monoculture plantations. These plantations provide no habitat for wildlife, forcing colobus monkeys and other African primates such as mandrills and colobuses into increasingly smaller and more fragmented forest patches where survival is difficult.
Hunting for bushmeat
Western Red Colobus are one of the most heavily hunted primate species in West Africa. Their trusting nature and slow movement make them easy targets for hunters. In Guinea-Bissau alone, nearly 200 individuals are killed each dry season to supply urban bushmeat markets. Similar levels of hunting occur across their range, with skins also being sold for ritualistic practices.
Logging and habitat destruction
Deforestation through logging, charcoal production, palm oil and mining has significantly reduced the Western Red Colobus’ habitat. Forest loss in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea has been among the fastest in the world, with Côte d’Ivoire alone losing 17% of its forest cover between 2000 and 2015. Many areas designated as “protected” no longer contain forest, having been converted to plantations.
Civil conflict and human-wildlife conflict
Decades of civil unrest in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have devastated conservation efforts, allowing illegal hunting and habitat destruction to go unchecked. Additionally, as forests disappear, colobus monkeys are increasingly forced to enter agricultural land, where they are viewed as pests and killed in retaliation.
Reproduction and mating
Western Red Colobus do not have a fixed breeding season, and infants are born throughout the year. Newborns are highly dependent on their mothers, clinging to them for warmth and security. While mothers provide most of the direct care, other females in the group often assist in carrying and grooming the young.
Males play a more protective role, defending the group from predators and external threats. Unlike some primates, they do not exhibit strong territorial behaviour but will vocalise aggressively and form defensive group formations when threatened.
Geographic range
Western Red Colobus are found in fragmented populations across West Africa, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and The Gambia. They primarily inhabit primary and secondary forests but can also be found in gallery forests, mangroves, and occasionally in human-modified landscapes.
FAQs
Why are Western Red Colobus endangered?
They are primarily threatened by habitat destruction due to palm oil plantations, logging, and mining, combined with intensive hunting for the bushmeat trade.
Do Western Red Colobus monkeys make good pets?
No. Keeping them as pets is both illegal and unethical. They are highly social, arboreal primates that require vast forest habitats to survive. The illegal pet trade further threatens their already declining populations.
Where can Western Red Colobus be found?
These primates are found in West Africa, including Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia. However, their populations are highly fragmented.
Are Western Red Colobus aggressive?
They are not typically aggressive towards humans but will display defensive behaviours if they feel threatened. They rely on vocalisations and group defence rather than physical confrontation.
How can we help Western Red Colobus?
Protecting their remaining habitat, banning hunting, and supporting conservation efforts are critical to ensuring their survival. Consumers can also help by boycotting products linked to deforestation, such as palm oil and timber.
Take Action!
The fate of the Western Red Colobus and other African primates is inextricably tied to the choices people make every day. By rejecting products that contain palm oil and supporting organisations fighting against illegal hunting and deforestation, individuals can help protect these remarkable primates. Conservation groups working in West Africa urgently need funding and international pressure to push governments to enforce anti-hunting laws and preserve remaining forests. Use your voice and purchasing power to demand change. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
In both Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, more than half of the closed forest in the forest reserves has been converted to plantation or farmland, or cleared and left bare (Bitty et al. 2015).
IUCN Red List
Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius
Support the conservation of this species
Further Information
Aleixo-Pais, et. al. (2023). Dietary flexibility of western red colobus in two protected areas with contrasting anthropogenic pressure. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 11, 1280277. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1280277
McGraw, S., Minhós, T., Bersacola, E., Ferreira da Silva, M.J., Galat, G., Galat-Luong, A., Gonedelé Bi, S., Mayhew, M., Oates, J.F. & Starin, E.D. 2020. Piliocolobus badius. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T161247840A161259430. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T161247840A161259430.en. Downloaded on 15 February 2021.
Linder, J. M. et. al (2021). Red colobus (Piliocolobus) conservation action plan 2021-2026. IUCN/Primate Specialist Group.
Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Western Red Colobus. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_red_colobus
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
Sign Up
Join 1,398 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#Africa #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #bushmeat #charcoal #Colobus #deforestation #endangered #EndangeredSpecies #extinction #Guinea #GuineaBissau #IvoryCoast #IvoryCoast #Liberia #Mammal #mining #palmoil #poaching #Primate #primates #Sierra #SierraLeone #SierraLeone #timber #vegan #WestAfrica #WesternRedColobusPiliocolobusBadius
-
Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius
Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius
Status: Endangered (IUCN 2020)
Location: West Africa – Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and The Gambia
The Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius is one of West Africa’s most #endangered #primates, facing an escalating crisis of habitat loss and overhunting. Once abundant in mature forests across the region, they have been driven to the brink of #extinction by rampant deforestation for charcoal, palm oil and mining and the increasing demand for #bushmeat. Widespread clearing of forests for industrial #palmoil plantations, #mining, and #timber has fragmented their habitat, isolating populations and making them more vulnerable to #poaching. Without urgent intervention, their future remains uncertain. Help them every time you shop and be #vegan #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
One of #WestAfrica and the world’s most endangered #primates 🐵you’ve never heard of is the enchanting Western Red #Colobus of #SierraLeone 🇸🇱 #Liberia 🇱🇷 #PalmOil 🌴☠️ and #poaching are major threats. #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/western-red-colobus-piliocolobus-badius/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterForest clearing in #WestAfrica for #charcoal #palmoil and #mining ⛏️ are threats for the elusive and #endangered #primate 🐵🐒🙈 Western Red #Colobus. Help them to survive, when you shop #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🤢🔥⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/western-red-colobus-piliocolobus-badius/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterAppearance and behaviour
Western Red Colobus are striking primates with a rich reddish-orange coat, contrasting with a darker face and limbs. They are highly social and live in large multi-male, multi-female groups of up to 90 individuals. Their interactions are characterised by grooming, play, and cooperative care of young, which strengthens group cohesion. Unlike some primates, they rely on an intricate vocal system to communicate, warning each other of danger and coordinating group movements.
Primarily arboreal, they move gracefully through the forest canopy, favouring mature, old-growth trees. However, in more northern populations, they have been observed travelling and foraging on the ground, a behaviour that may be increasing due to habitat destruction.
Diet
Western Red Colobus have a specialised diet consisting mainly of fruit, seeds, and young leaves. Unlike many other primates, they rely heavily on digesting leaves, which are fermented in their complex stomachs. This adaptation allows them to survive in environments where fruit is less abundant.
In degraded forests where food availability is low, these primates have been observed consuming cultivated crops such as mango, indicating a level of dietary flexibility. However, reliance on human-grown food brings them into conflict with local communities, increasing their vulnerability to persecution.
The diet of the Western Red Colobus (Piliocolobus badius) and other primates in Africa is shaped by food availability and environmental changes, with significant variation across different regions and seasons. DNA studies have revealed a diverse diet comprising a high richness of plant species, though individuals in fragmented forests consume a greater variety of plants than those in well-preserved habitats. In Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau, 11% of their diet consists of cultivated foods like mango, highlighting their adaptability to human-altered landscapes. However, the long-term consequences of these dietary shifts remain unclear, raising concerns about their ability to sustain populations in degraded habitats (Aleixo-Pais et al., 2023).
Threats
Palm oil, charcoal and mining deforestation
The expansion of industrial palm oil plantations in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Guinea has destroyed vast tracts of forest, replacing diverse ecosystems with monoculture plantations. These plantations provide no habitat for wildlife, forcing colobus monkeys and other African primates such as mandrills and colobuses into increasingly smaller and more fragmented forest patches where survival is difficult.
Hunting for bushmeat
Western Red Colobus are one of the most heavily hunted primate species in West Africa. Their trusting nature and slow movement make them easy targets for hunters. In Guinea-Bissau alone, nearly 200 individuals are killed each dry season to supply urban bushmeat markets. Similar levels of hunting occur across their range, with skins also being sold for ritualistic practices.
Logging and habitat destruction
Deforestation through logging, charcoal production, palm oil and mining has significantly reduced the Western Red Colobus’ habitat. Forest loss in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea has been among the fastest in the world, with Côte d’Ivoire alone losing 17% of its forest cover between 2000 and 2015. Many areas designated as “protected” no longer contain forest, having been converted to plantations.
Civil conflict and human-wildlife conflict
Decades of civil unrest in Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone have devastated conservation efforts, allowing illegal hunting and habitat destruction to go unchecked. Additionally, as forests disappear, colobus monkeys are increasingly forced to enter agricultural land, where they are viewed as pests and killed in retaliation.
Reproduction and mating
Western Red Colobus do not have a fixed breeding season, and infants are born throughout the year. Newborns are highly dependent on their mothers, clinging to them for warmth and security. While mothers provide most of the direct care, other females in the group often assist in carrying and grooming the young.
Males play a more protective role, defending the group from predators and external threats. Unlike some primates, they do not exhibit strong territorial behaviour but will vocalise aggressively and form defensive group formations when threatened.
Geographic range
Western Red Colobus are found in fragmented populations across West Africa, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and The Gambia. They primarily inhabit primary and secondary forests but can also be found in gallery forests, mangroves, and occasionally in human-modified landscapes.
FAQs
Why are Western Red Colobus endangered?
They are primarily threatened by habitat destruction due to palm oil plantations, logging, and mining, combined with intensive hunting for the bushmeat trade.
Do Western Red Colobus monkeys make good pets?
No. Keeping them as pets is both illegal and unethical. They are highly social, arboreal primates that require vast forest habitats to survive. The illegal pet trade further threatens their already declining populations.
Where can Western Red Colobus be found?
These primates are found in West Africa, including Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia. However, their populations are highly fragmented.
Are Western Red Colobus aggressive?
They are not typically aggressive towards humans but will display defensive behaviours if they feel threatened. They rely on vocalisations and group defence rather than physical confrontation.
How can we help Western Red Colobus?
Protecting their remaining habitat, banning hunting, and supporting conservation efforts are critical to ensuring their survival. Consumers can also help by boycotting products linked to deforestation, such as palm oil and timber.
Take Action!
The fate of the Western Red Colobus and other African primates is inextricably tied to the choices people make every day. By rejecting products that contain palm oil and supporting organisations fighting against illegal hunting and deforestation, individuals can help protect these remarkable primates. Conservation groups working in West Africa urgently need funding and international pressure to push governments to enforce anti-hunting laws and preserve remaining forests. Use your voice and purchasing power to demand change. #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife
In both Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, more than half of the closed forest in the forest reserves has been converted to plantation or farmland, or cleared and left bare (Bitty et al. 2015).
IUCN Red List
Western Red Colobus Piliocolobus badius
Support the conservation of this species
Further Information
Aleixo-Pais, et. al. (2023). Dietary flexibility of western red colobus in two protected areas with contrasting anthropogenic pressure. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 11, 1280277. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1280277
McGraw, S., Minhós, T., Bersacola, E., Ferreira da Silva, M.J., Galat, G., Galat-Luong, A., Gonedelé Bi, S., Mayhew, M., Oates, J.F. & Starin, E.D. 2020. Piliocolobus badius. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T161247840A161259430. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T161247840A161259430.en. Downloaded on 15 February 2021.
Linder, J. M. et. al (2021). Red colobus (Piliocolobus) conservation action plan 2021-2026. IUCN/Primate Specialist Group.
Wikipedia Contributors. (2024). Western Red Colobus. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_red_colobus
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
Sign Up
Join 1,398 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#Africa #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottPalmOil #bushmeat #charcoal #Colobus #deforestation #endangered #EndangeredSpecies #extinction #Guinea #GuineaBissau #IvoryCoast #IvoryCoast #Liberia #Mammal #mining #palmoil #poaching #Primate #primates #Sierra #SierraLeone #SierraLeone #timber #vegan #WestAfrica #WesternRedColobusPiliocolobusBadius
-
White-thighed Colobus Colobus vellerosus
White-thighed Colobus Colobus vellerosus
IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered
Location: Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso
The White-thighed Colobus is found in the forests of West Africa, including lowland rainforest, semi-deciduous forest, gallery forest, and swamp forest. Key strongholds include the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in Ghana and Kikélé Sacred Forest in Benin.
The White-thighed Colobus (Colobus vellerosus), also known as the Ursine Colobus or Geoffroy’s Black-and-White Colobus, is a striking primate of West Africa and is currently listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Their numbers have plummeted by over 80% in just three generations due to rampant deforestation driven by logging, agriculture, and expanding palm oil plantations. Intense bushmeat hunting and weakening traditional taboos have further accelerated their decline. With fewer than 1,500 individuals thought to remain in the wild, urgent action is needed to save them. Use your wallet as a weapon—boycott products that contain palm oil and support ethical, indigenous-led conservation. BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat
https://youtu.be/ZtNODz25LzU?si=toKWDq3KJWzMmwSC
The White-thighed #Colobus of #Ghana are critically endangered #monkeys 🐒🙈🧐🙊 Big brands are destroying their home for #palmoil, edging them towards #extinction. Take action! #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/white-thighed-colobus-colobus-vellerosus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterWith complex vocalisations and striking halos of white hair, the White-thighed #Colobus 🐵🐒🩷 are arguably rarest #primates in #WestAfrica 🇨🇮 🇬🇭 Help them to survive when you #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🪔🔥🧐⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket! @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/white-thighed-colobus-colobus-vellerosus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterAppearance and Behaviour
The White-thighed Colobus is instantly recognisable by its black fur offset with bright white patches on the thighs and a halo of thick white fur surrounding their bare black face. Their long, fully white tail and slender body give them a unique silhouette among colobines. Infants are born completely white and darken to adult colouration by around three months.
In both Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, more than half of the closed forest in the forest reserves has been converted to plantation or farmland, or cleared and left bare (Bitty et al. 2015).
IUCN Red List
These monkeys are highly arboreal, agile, and diurnal, moving through the canopy with grace. Their complex vocal repertoire includes deep roaring calls to defend territories and sharp snorts as alarm signals. Group structure typically includes one territorial male with multiple females and their offspring, though multi-male groups are also observed.
Diet
Primarily folivorous, the White-thighed Colobus feeds on young leaves, seeds, fruits, buds, flowers, and bark. Their diet includes more than 30 plant species and varies with seasonal availability. In Kikélé Sacred Forest, they consume large amounts of leaves (over 60%), followed by fruits and other plant parts. They occasionally supplement their diet with termite clay.
Reproduction and Mating
Groups of these colobuses typically include one or more adult males, several females, and their offspring. Group sizes range from 10 to 25 individuals. Breeding occurs year-round, with a likely peak during the dry season. Infants are closely cared for by mothers and other females, fostering a strong social structure. Males often disperse upon reaching sexual maturity.
Geographic Range
The species is found in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Nigeria, Togo, and possibly the southernmost tip of Burkina Faso. It has been extirpated from many forest reserves in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire due to extreme hunting and forest clearance. Populations remain in Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (Ghana), Comoé National Park (Côte d’Ivoire), Fazao-Malfakassa National Park (Togo), and Kikélé Sacred Forest (Benin). It is likely extinct in Burkina Faso.
Threats
The White-thighed Colobus is threatened primarily by hunting and secondarily by habitat loss (McGraw 2005). Accelerated hunting pressure is discernible from reported changes in hunters’ behaviour in the species’ range countries. Thirty years ago, hunters in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire almost always hunted only larger-bodied animals, but now they are mostly hunting smaller-bodied animals because of the depletion of large primates like C. vellerosus (Decher and Kpelle 2005, Gonedelé Bi et al. 2016).
In Comoé National Park in Côte d’Ivoire, several groups remain, but hunting pressure and mining occur although some patrol is in place.
- Deforestation from logging, agriculture, road building, and palm oil plantations has fragmented and destroyed their habitat.
- Palm oil, tobacco and cocoa expansion and industrial production is a major driver of forest clearance across West Africa, particularly in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
- Hunting for bushmeat is rampant, including in protected areas and sacred groves.
- Collapse of traditional taboos that once protected the species has made them vulnerable to killing by local communities.
- Hydropower development, such as the proposed Adjarala dam on the Mono River, threatens forests in Benin and Togo.
- Infrastructure expansion and human settlement continue to encroach on remaining habitats.
Take Action!
Use your wallet as a weapon. Boycott products that contain palm oil—this is one of the leading causes of deforestation that is destroying the forests of the White-thighed Colobus. Avoid meat and dairy, which drive land clearing for grazing and feed crops. Support indigenous-led conservation and community-based sanctuaries like Boabeng-Fiema. Demand governments halt infrastructure projects in critical habitat areas. Take action every time you shop BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife be #Vegan and #BoycottMeat
FAQs
How many White-thighed Colobus are left in the wild?
Recent estimates suggest fewer than 1,500 individuals remain across their entire range (IUCN, 2020). In some places, only a few isolated groups survive, such as in Kikélé Sacred Forest (Benin) and Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (Ghana).
What is the average lifespan of the White-thighed Colobus in the wild?
While specific data are scarce, similar species of colobus monkeys live up to 20 years in the wild. In captivity, they may live slightly longer under optimal care.
How are White-thighed Colobuses affected by palm oil?
Palm oil plantations are expanding rapidly in West Africa, replacing biodiverse forests with monocultures. This directly destroys the colobus monkeys’ food sources, sleeping trees, and corridors between forest patches. Products with palm oil continue to drive this destruction.
What are the biggest threats to the White-thighed Colobus?
Besides palm oil, the main threats include logging, conversion of forest to farmland, hunting for bushmeat, infrastructure development (roads and dams), and the erosion of traditional beliefs that once protected them.
Are White-thighed Colobuses sacred to local communities?
Yes, in areas like Boabeng-Fiema and Kikélé, they are considered sacred and are given burial rites. However, these traditions are fading, and poaching still occurs.
White-thighed Colobus Colobus vellerosus
Support the conservation of this species
Further Information
Arseneau-Robar, T. J., Teichroeb, J. A., Macintosh, A. J. J., Saj, T. L., Glotfelty, E., Lucci, S., Sicotte, P., & Wikberg, E. C. (2024). When population growth intensifies intergroup competition, female colobus monkeys free-ride less. Scientific Reports, 14, Article 14363. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64188-0
Djègo-Djossou, S., Koné, I., Fandohan, A. B., Djègo, J. G., Huynen, M. C., & Sinsin, B. (2015). Habitat Use by White-Thighed Colobus in the Kikélé Sacred Forest: Activity Budget, Feeding Ecology and Selection of Sleeping Trees. Primate Conservation, 2015(29), 97–105. https://doi.org/10.1896/052.029.0106
Kankam, B. O., Antwi-Bosiako, P., Addae-Wireko, L., & Dankwah, C. (2023). Growing population of the critically endangered white-thighed colobus monkey (Colobus vellerosus) from forest fragments in Ghana. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 39, e33. doi:10.1017/S0266467423000214
Matsuda Goodwin, R., Gonedelé Bi, S., Nobimè, G., Koné, I., Osei, D., Segniagbeto, G. & Oates, J.F. 2020. Colobus vellerosus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T5146A169472127. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T5146A169472127.en. Downloaded on 15 February 2021.
Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. (2021). White-thighed Colobus – Project No. 202525581. https://www.speciesconservation.org/case-studies-projects/white-thighed-colobus/25581
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
Sign Up
Join 1,398 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#Benin #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #BurkinaFaso #Colobus #CoteDIvoire #CriticallyEndangeredSpecies #dams #deforestation #extinction #ForgottenAnimals #Ghana #hunting #hydroelectric #IvoryCoast #Mammal #meatDeforestation_ #mining #monkey #monkeys #Nigeria #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #poachers #poaching #Primate #primates #primatology #tobacco #Togo #vegan #WestAfrica #WhiteThighedColobusColobusVellerosus
-
White-thighed Colobus Colobus vellerosus
White-thighed Colobus Colobus vellerosus
IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered
Location: Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso
The White-thighed Colobus is found in the forests of West Africa, including lowland rainforest, semi-deciduous forest, gallery forest, and swamp forest. Key strongholds include the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in Ghana and Kikélé Sacred Forest in Benin.
The White-thighed Colobus (Colobus vellerosus), also known as the Ursine Colobus or Geoffroy’s Black-and-White Colobus, is a striking primate of West Africa and is currently listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Their numbers have plummeted by over 80% in just three generations due to rampant deforestation driven by logging, agriculture, and expanding palm oil plantations. Intense bushmeat hunting and weakening traditional taboos have further accelerated their decline. With fewer than 1,500 individuals thought to remain in the wild, urgent action is needed to save them. Use your wallet as a weapon—boycott products that contain palm oil and support ethical, indigenous-led conservation. BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat
https://youtu.be/ZtNODz25LzU?si=toKWDq3KJWzMmwSC
The White-thighed #Colobus of #Ghana are critically endangered #monkeys 🐒🙈🧐🙊 Big brands are destroying their home for #palmoil, edging them towards #extinction. Take action! #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/white-thighed-colobus-colobus-vellerosus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterWith complex vocalisations and striking halos of white hair, the White-thighed #Colobus 🐵🐒🩷 are arguably rarest #primates in #WestAfrica 🇨🇮 🇬🇭 Help them to survive when you #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🪔🔥🧐⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket! @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/white-thighed-colobus-colobus-vellerosus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterAppearance and Behaviour
The White-thighed Colobus is instantly recognisable by its black fur offset with bright white patches on the thighs and a halo of thick white fur surrounding their bare black face. Their long, fully white tail and slender body give them a unique silhouette among colobines. Infants are born completely white and darken to adult colouration by around three months.
In both Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, more than half of the closed forest in the forest reserves has been converted to plantation or farmland, or cleared and left bare (Bitty et al. 2015).
IUCN Red List
These monkeys are highly arboreal, agile, and diurnal, moving through the canopy with grace. Their complex vocal repertoire includes deep roaring calls to defend territories and sharp snorts as alarm signals. Group structure typically includes one territorial male with multiple females and their offspring, though multi-male groups are also observed.
Diet
Primarily folivorous, the White-thighed Colobus feeds on young leaves, seeds, fruits, buds, flowers, and bark. Their diet includes more than 30 plant species and varies with seasonal availability. In Kikélé Sacred Forest, they consume large amounts of leaves (over 60%), followed by fruits and other plant parts. They occasionally supplement their diet with termite clay.
Reproduction and Mating
Groups of these colobuses typically include one or more adult males, several females, and their offspring. Group sizes range from 10 to 25 individuals. Breeding occurs year-round, with a likely peak during the dry season. Infants are closely cared for by mothers and other females, fostering a strong social structure. Males often disperse upon reaching sexual maturity.
Geographic Range
The species is found in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Nigeria, Togo, and possibly the southernmost tip of Burkina Faso. It has been extirpated from many forest reserves in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire due to extreme hunting and forest clearance. Populations remain in Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (Ghana), Comoé National Park (Côte d’Ivoire), Fazao-Malfakassa National Park (Togo), and Kikélé Sacred Forest (Benin). It is likely extinct in Burkina Faso.
Threats
The White-thighed Colobus is threatened primarily by hunting and secondarily by habitat loss (McGraw 2005). Accelerated hunting pressure is discernible from reported changes in hunters’ behaviour in the species’ range countries. Thirty years ago, hunters in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire almost always hunted only larger-bodied animals, but now they are mostly hunting smaller-bodied animals because of the depletion of large primates like C. vellerosus (Decher and Kpelle 2005, Gonedelé Bi et al. 2016).
In Comoé National Park in Côte d’Ivoire, several groups remain, but hunting pressure and mining occur although some patrol is in place.
- Deforestation from logging, agriculture, road building, and palm oil plantations has fragmented and destroyed their habitat.
- Palm oil, tobacco and cocoa expansion and industrial production is a major driver of forest clearance across West Africa, particularly in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
- Hunting for bushmeat is rampant, including in protected areas and sacred groves.
- Collapse of traditional taboos that once protected the species has made them vulnerable to killing by local communities.
- Hydropower development, such as the proposed Adjarala dam on the Mono River, threatens forests in Benin and Togo.
- Infrastructure expansion and human settlement continue to encroach on remaining habitats.
Take Action!
Use your wallet as a weapon. Boycott products that contain palm oil—this is one of the leading causes of deforestation that is destroying the forests of the White-thighed Colobus. Avoid meat and dairy, which drive land clearing for grazing and feed crops. Support indigenous-led conservation and community-based sanctuaries like Boabeng-Fiema. Demand governments halt infrastructure projects in critical habitat areas. Take action every time you shop BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife be #Vegan and #BoycottMeat
FAQs
How many White-thighed Colobus are left in the wild?
Recent estimates suggest fewer than 1,500 individuals remain across their entire range (IUCN, 2020). In some places, only a few isolated groups survive, such as in Kikélé Sacred Forest (Benin) and Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (Ghana).
What is the average lifespan of the White-thighed Colobus in the wild?
While specific data are scarce, similar species of colobus monkeys live up to 20 years in the wild. In captivity, they may live slightly longer under optimal care.
How are White-thighed Colobuses affected by palm oil?
Palm oil plantations are expanding rapidly in West Africa, replacing biodiverse forests with monocultures. This directly destroys the colobus monkeys’ food sources, sleeping trees, and corridors between forest patches. Products with palm oil continue to drive this destruction.
What are the biggest threats to the White-thighed Colobus?
Besides palm oil, the main threats include logging, conversion of forest to farmland, hunting for bushmeat, infrastructure development (roads and dams), and the erosion of traditional beliefs that once protected them.
Are White-thighed Colobuses sacred to local communities?
Yes, in areas like Boabeng-Fiema and Kikélé, they are considered sacred and are given burial rites. However, these traditions are fading, and poaching still occurs.
White-thighed Colobus Colobus vellerosus
Support the conservation of this species
Further Information
Arseneau-Robar, T. J., Teichroeb, J. A., Macintosh, A. J. J., Saj, T. L., Glotfelty, E., Lucci, S., Sicotte, P., & Wikberg, E. C. (2024). When population growth intensifies intergroup competition, female colobus monkeys free-ride less. Scientific Reports, 14, Article 14363. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64188-0
Djègo-Djossou, S., Koné, I., Fandohan, A. B., Djègo, J. G., Huynen, M. C., & Sinsin, B. (2015). Habitat Use by White-Thighed Colobus in the Kikélé Sacred Forest: Activity Budget, Feeding Ecology and Selection of Sleeping Trees. Primate Conservation, 2015(29), 97–105. https://doi.org/10.1896/052.029.0106
Kankam, B. O., Antwi-Bosiako, P., Addae-Wireko, L., & Dankwah, C. (2023). Growing population of the critically endangered white-thighed colobus monkey (Colobus vellerosus) from forest fragments in Ghana. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 39, e33. doi:10.1017/S0266467423000214
Matsuda Goodwin, R., Gonedelé Bi, S., Nobimè, G., Koné, I., Osei, D., Segniagbeto, G. & Oates, J.F. 2020. Colobus vellerosus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T5146A169472127. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T5146A169472127.en. Downloaded on 15 February 2021.
Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. (2021). White-thighed Colobus – Project No. 202525581. https://www.speciesconservation.org/case-studies-projects/white-thighed-colobus/25581
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
Sign Up
Join 1,398 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#Benin #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #BurkinaFaso #Colobus #CoteDIvoire #CriticallyEndangeredSpecies #dams #deforestation #extinction #ForgottenAnimals #Ghana #hunting #hydroelectric #IvoryCoast #Mammal #meatDeforestation_ #mining #monkey #monkeys #Nigeria #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #poachers #poaching #Primate #primates #primatology #tobacco #Togo #vegan #WestAfrica #WhiteThighedColobusColobusVellerosus
-
White-thighed Colobus Colobus vellerosus
White-thighed Colobus Colobus vellerosus
IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered
Location: Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso
The White-thighed Colobus is found in the forests of West Africa, including lowland rainforest, semi-deciduous forest, gallery forest, and swamp forest. Key strongholds include the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in Ghana and Kikélé Sacred Forest in Benin.
The White-thighed Colobus (Colobus vellerosus), also known as the Ursine Colobus or Geoffroy’s Black-and-White Colobus, is a striking primate of West Africa and is currently listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Their numbers have plummeted by over 80% in just three generations due to rampant deforestation driven by logging, agriculture, and expanding palm oil plantations. Intense bushmeat hunting and weakening traditional taboos have further accelerated their decline. With fewer than 1,500 individuals thought to remain in the wild, urgent action is needed to save them. Use your wallet as a weapon—boycott products that contain palm oil and support ethical, indigenous-led conservation. BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat
https://youtu.be/ZtNODz25LzU?si=toKWDq3KJWzMmwSC
The White-thighed #Colobus of #Ghana are critically endangered #monkeys 🐒🙈🧐🙊 Big brands are destroying their home for #palmoil, edging them towards #extinction. Take action! #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/white-thighed-colobus-colobus-vellerosus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterWith complex vocalisations and striking halos of white hair, the White-thighed #Colobus 🐵🐒🩷 are arguably rarest #primates in #WestAfrica 🇨🇮 🇬🇭 Help them to survive when you #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🪔🔥🧐⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket! @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/white-thighed-colobus-colobus-vellerosus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterAppearance and Behaviour
The White-thighed Colobus is instantly recognisable by its black fur offset with bright white patches on the thighs and a halo of thick white fur surrounding their bare black face. Their long, fully white tail and slender body give them a unique silhouette among colobines. Infants are born completely white and darken to adult colouration by around three months.
In both Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, more than half of the closed forest in the forest reserves has been converted to plantation or farmland, or cleared and left bare (Bitty et al. 2015).
IUCN Red List
These monkeys are highly arboreal, agile, and diurnal, moving through the canopy with grace. Their complex vocal repertoire includes deep roaring calls to defend territories and sharp snorts as alarm signals. Group structure typically includes one territorial male with multiple females and their offspring, though multi-male groups are also observed.
Diet
Primarily folivorous, the White-thighed Colobus feeds on young leaves, seeds, fruits, buds, flowers, and bark. Their diet includes more than 30 plant species and varies with seasonal availability. In Kikélé Sacred Forest, they consume large amounts of leaves (over 60%), followed by fruits and other plant parts. They occasionally supplement their diet with termite clay.
Reproduction and Mating
Groups of these colobuses typically include one or more adult males, several females, and their offspring. Group sizes range from 10 to 25 individuals. Breeding occurs year-round, with a likely peak during the dry season. Infants are closely cared for by mothers and other females, fostering a strong social structure. Males often disperse upon reaching sexual maturity.
Geographic Range
The species is found in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Nigeria, Togo, and possibly the southernmost tip of Burkina Faso. It has been extirpated from many forest reserves in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire due to extreme hunting and forest clearance. Populations remain in Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (Ghana), Comoé National Park (Côte d’Ivoire), Fazao-Malfakassa National Park (Togo), and Kikélé Sacred Forest (Benin). It is likely extinct in Burkina Faso.
Threats
The White-thighed Colobus is threatened primarily by hunting and secondarily by habitat loss (McGraw 2005). Accelerated hunting pressure is discernible from reported changes in hunters’ behaviour in the species’ range countries. Thirty years ago, hunters in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire almost always hunted only larger-bodied animals, but now they are mostly hunting smaller-bodied animals because of the depletion of large primates like C. vellerosus (Decher and Kpelle 2005, Gonedelé Bi et al. 2016).
In Comoé National Park in Côte d’Ivoire, several groups remain, but hunting pressure and mining occur although some patrol is in place.
- Deforestation from logging, agriculture, road building, and palm oil plantations has fragmented and destroyed their habitat.
- Palm oil, tobacco and cocoa expansion and industrial production is a major driver of forest clearance across West Africa, particularly in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
- Hunting for bushmeat is rampant, including in protected areas and sacred groves.
- Collapse of traditional taboos that once protected the species has made them vulnerable to killing by local communities.
- Hydropower development, such as the proposed Adjarala dam on the Mono River, threatens forests in Benin and Togo.
- Infrastructure expansion and human settlement continue to encroach on remaining habitats.
Take Action!
Use your wallet as a weapon. Boycott products that contain palm oil—this is one of the leading causes of deforestation that is destroying the forests of the White-thighed Colobus. Avoid meat and dairy, which drive land clearing for grazing and feed crops. Support indigenous-led conservation and community-based sanctuaries like Boabeng-Fiema. Demand governments halt infrastructure projects in critical habitat areas. Take action every time you shop BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife be #Vegan and #BoycottMeat
FAQs
How many White-thighed Colobus are left in the wild?
Recent estimates suggest fewer than 1,500 individuals remain across their entire range (IUCN, 2020). In some places, only a few isolated groups survive, such as in Kikélé Sacred Forest (Benin) and Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (Ghana).
What is the average lifespan of the White-thighed Colobus in the wild?
While specific data are scarce, similar species of colobus monkeys live up to 20 years in the wild. In captivity, they may live slightly longer under optimal care.
How are White-thighed Colobuses affected by palm oil?
Palm oil plantations are expanding rapidly in West Africa, replacing biodiverse forests with monocultures. This directly destroys the colobus monkeys’ food sources, sleeping trees, and corridors between forest patches. Products with palm oil continue to drive this destruction.
What are the biggest threats to the White-thighed Colobus?
Besides palm oil, the main threats include logging, conversion of forest to farmland, hunting for bushmeat, infrastructure development (roads and dams), and the erosion of traditional beliefs that once protected them.
Are White-thighed Colobuses sacred to local communities?
Yes, in areas like Boabeng-Fiema and Kikélé, they are considered sacred and are given burial rites. However, these traditions are fading, and poaching still occurs.
White-thighed Colobus Colobus vellerosus
Support the conservation of this species
Further Information
Arseneau-Robar, T. J., Teichroeb, J. A., Macintosh, A. J. J., Saj, T. L., Glotfelty, E., Lucci, S., Sicotte, P., & Wikberg, E. C. (2024). When population growth intensifies intergroup competition, female colobus monkeys free-ride less. Scientific Reports, 14, Article 14363. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64188-0
Djègo-Djossou, S., Koné, I., Fandohan, A. B., Djègo, J. G., Huynen, M. C., & Sinsin, B. (2015). Habitat Use by White-Thighed Colobus in the Kikélé Sacred Forest: Activity Budget, Feeding Ecology and Selection of Sleeping Trees. Primate Conservation, 2015(29), 97–105. https://doi.org/10.1896/052.029.0106
Kankam, B. O., Antwi-Bosiako, P., Addae-Wireko, L., & Dankwah, C. (2023). Growing population of the critically endangered white-thighed colobus monkey (Colobus vellerosus) from forest fragments in Ghana. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 39, e33. doi:10.1017/S0266467423000214
Matsuda Goodwin, R., Gonedelé Bi, S., Nobimè, G., Koné, I., Osei, D., Segniagbeto, G. & Oates, J.F. 2020. Colobus vellerosus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T5146A169472127. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T5146A169472127.en. Downloaded on 15 February 2021.
Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. (2021). White-thighed Colobus – Project No. 202525581. https://www.speciesconservation.org/case-studies-projects/white-thighed-colobus/25581
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
Sign Up
Join 1,398 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#Benin #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #BurkinaFaso #Colobus #CoteDIvoire #CriticallyEndangeredSpecies #dams #deforestation #extinction #ForgottenAnimals #Ghana #hunting #hydroelectric #IvoryCoast #Mammal #meatDeforestation_ #mining #monkey #monkeys #Nigeria #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #poachers #poaching #Primate #primates #primatology #tobacco #Togo #vegan #WestAfrica #WhiteThighedColobusColobusVellerosus
-
White-thighed Colobus Colobus vellerosus
White-thighed Colobus Colobus vellerosus
IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered
Location: Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso
The White-thighed Colobus is found in the forests of West Africa, including lowland rainforest, semi-deciduous forest, gallery forest, and swamp forest. Key strongholds include the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in Ghana and Kikélé Sacred Forest in Benin.
The White-thighed Colobus (Colobus vellerosus), also known as the Ursine Colobus or Geoffroy’s Black-and-White Colobus, is a striking primate of West Africa and is currently listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Their numbers have plummeted by over 80% in just three generations due to rampant deforestation driven by logging, agriculture, and expanding palm oil plantations. Intense bushmeat hunting and weakening traditional taboos have further accelerated their decline. With fewer than 1,500 individuals thought to remain in the wild, urgent action is needed to save them. Use your wallet as a weapon—boycott products that contain palm oil and support ethical, indigenous-led conservation. BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife #Vegan #BoycottMeat
https://youtu.be/ZtNODz25LzU?si=toKWDq3KJWzMmwSC
The White-thighed #Colobus of #Ghana are critically endangered #monkeys 🐒🙈🧐🙊 Big brands are destroying their home for #palmoil, edging them towards #extinction. Take action! #Boycottpalmoil 🌴🚫 #Boycott4Wildlife @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/white-thighed-colobus-colobus-vellerosus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterWith complex vocalisations and striking halos of white hair, the White-thighed #Colobus 🐵🐒🩷 are arguably rarest #primates in #WestAfrica 🇨🇮 🇬🇭 Help them to survive when you #BoycottPalmOil 🌴🪔🔥🧐⛔️ #Boycott4Wildlife in the supermarket! @palmoildetect https://palmoildetectives.com/2021/02/15/white-thighed-colobus-colobus-vellerosus/
Share to BlueSky Share to TwitterAppearance and Behaviour
The White-thighed Colobus is instantly recognisable by its black fur offset with bright white patches on the thighs and a halo of thick white fur surrounding their bare black face. Their long, fully white tail and slender body give them a unique silhouette among colobines. Infants are born completely white and darken to adult colouration by around three months.
In both Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, more than half of the closed forest in the forest reserves has been converted to plantation or farmland, or cleared and left bare (Bitty et al. 2015).
IUCN Red List
These monkeys are highly arboreal, agile, and diurnal, moving through the canopy with grace. Their complex vocal repertoire includes deep roaring calls to defend territories and sharp snorts as alarm signals. Group structure typically includes one territorial male with multiple females and their offspring, though multi-male groups are also observed.
Diet
Primarily folivorous, the White-thighed Colobus feeds on young leaves, seeds, fruits, buds, flowers, and bark. Their diet includes more than 30 plant species and varies with seasonal availability. In Kikélé Sacred Forest, they consume large amounts of leaves (over 60%), followed by fruits and other plant parts. They occasionally supplement their diet with termite clay.
Reproduction and Mating
Groups of these colobuses typically include one or more adult males, several females, and their offspring. Group sizes range from 10 to 25 individuals. Breeding occurs year-round, with a likely peak during the dry season. Infants are closely cared for by mothers and other females, fostering a strong social structure. Males often disperse upon reaching sexual maturity.
Geographic Range
The species is found in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Nigeria, Togo, and possibly the southernmost tip of Burkina Faso. It has been extirpated from many forest reserves in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire due to extreme hunting and forest clearance. Populations remain in Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (Ghana), Comoé National Park (Côte d’Ivoire), Fazao-Malfakassa National Park (Togo), and Kikélé Sacred Forest (Benin). It is likely extinct in Burkina Faso.
Threats
The White-thighed Colobus is threatened primarily by hunting and secondarily by habitat loss (McGraw 2005). Accelerated hunting pressure is discernible from reported changes in hunters’ behaviour in the species’ range countries. Thirty years ago, hunters in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire almost always hunted only larger-bodied animals, but now they are mostly hunting smaller-bodied animals because of the depletion of large primates like C. vellerosus (Decher and Kpelle 2005, Gonedelé Bi et al. 2016).
In Comoé National Park in Côte d’Ivoire, several groups remain, but hunting pressure and mining occur although some patrol is in place.
- Deforestation from logging, agriculture, road building, and palm oil plantations has fragmented and destroyed their habitat.
- Palm oil, tobacco and cocoa expansion and industrial production is a major driver of forest clearance across West Africa, particularly in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
- Hunting for bushmeat is rampant, including in protected areas and sacred groves.
- Collapse of traditional taboos that once protected the species has made them vulnerable to killing by local communities.
- Hydropower development, such as the proposed Adjarala dam on the Mono River, threatens forests in Benin and Togo.
- Infrastructure expansion and human settlement continue to encroach on remaining habitats.
Take Action!
Use your wallet as a weapon. Boycott products that contain palm oil—this is one of the leading causes of deforestation that is destroying the forests of the White-thighed Colobus. Avoid meat and dairy, which drive land clearing for grazing and feed crops. Support indigenous-led conservation and community-based sanctuaries like Boabeng-Fiema. Demand governments halt infrastructure projects in critical habitat areas. Take action every time you shop BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife be #Vegan and #BoycottMeat
FAQs
How many White-thighed Colobus are left in the wild?
Recent estimates suggest fewer than 1,500 individuals remain across their entire range (IUCN, 2020). In some places, only a few isolated groups survive, such as in Kikélé Sacred Forest (Benin) and Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (Ghana).
What is the average lifespan of the White-thighed Colobus in the wild?
While specific data are scarce, similar species of colobus monkeys live up to 20 years in the wild. In captivity, they may live slightly longer under optimal care.
How are White-thighed Colobuses affected by palm oil?
Palm oil plantations are expanding rapidly in West Africa, replacing biodiverse forests with monocultures. This directly destroys the colobus monkeys’ food sources, sleeping trees, and corridors between forest patches. Products with palm oil continue to drive this destruction.
What are the biggest threats to the White-thighed Colobus?
Besides palm oil, the main threats include logging, conversion of forest to farmland, hunting for bushmeat, infrastructure development (roads and dams), and the erosion of traditional beliefs that once protected them.
Are White-thighed Colobuses sacred to local communities?
Yes, in areas like Boabeng-Fiema and Kikélé, they are considered sacred and are given burial rites. However, these traditions are fading, and poaching still occurs.
White-thighed Colobus Colobus vellerosus
Support the conservation of this species
Further Information
Arseneau-Robar, T. J., Teichroeb, J. A., Macintosh, A. J. J., Saj, T. L., Glotfelty, E., Lucci, S., Sicotte, P., & Wikberg, E. C. (2024). When population growth intensifies intergroup competition, female colobus monkeys free-ride less. Scientific Reports, 14, Article 14363. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-64188-0
Djègo-Djossou, S., Koné, I., Fandohan, A. B., Djègo, J. G., Huynen, M. C., & Sinsin, B. (2015). Habitat Use by White-Thighed Colobus in the Kikélé Sacred Forest: Activity Budget, Feeding Ecology and Selection of Sleeping Trees. Primate Conservation, 2015(29), 97–105. https://doi.org/10.1896/052.029.0106
Kankam, B. O., Antwi-Bosiako, P., Addae-Wireko, L., & Dankwah, C. (2023). Growing population of the critically endangered white-thighed colobus monkey (Colobus vellerosus) from forest fragments in Ghana. Journal of Tropical Ecology, 39, e33. doi:10.1017/S0266467423000214
Matsuda Goodwin, R., Gonedelé Bi, S., Nobimè, G., Koné, I., Osei, D., Segniagbeto, G. & Oates, J.F. 2020. Colobus vellerosus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T5146A169472127. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T5146A169472127.en. Downloaded on 15 February 2021.
Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund. (2021). White-thighed Colobus – Project No. 202525581. https://www.speciesconservation.org/case-studies-projects/white-thighed-colobus/25581
How can I help the #Boycott4Wildlife?
Take Action in Five Ways
1. Join the #Boycott4Wildlife on social media and subscribe to stay in the loop: Share posts from this website to your own network on Twitter, Mastadon, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube using the hashtags #Boycottpalmoil #Boycott4Wildlife.
Enter your email address
Sign Up
Join 1,398 other subscribers2. Contribute stories: Academics, conservationists, scientists, indigenous rights advocates and animal rights advocates working to expose the corruption of the palm oil industry or to save animals can contribute stories to the website.
Mel Lumby: Dedicated Devotee to Borneo’s Living Beings
Anthropologist and Author Dr Sophie Chao
Health Physician Dr Evan Allen
The World’s Most Loved Cup: A Social, Ethical & Environmental History of Coffee by Aviary Doert
How do we stop the world’s ecosystems from going into a death spiral? A #SteadyState Economy
3. Supermarket sleuthing: Next time you’re in the supermarket, take photos of products containing palm oil. Share these to social media along with the hashtags to call out the greenwashing and ecocide of the brands who use palm oil. You can also take photos of palm oil free products and congratulate brands when they go palm oil free.
https://twitter.com/CuriousApe4/status/1526136783557529600?s=20
https://twitter.com/PhillDixon1/status/1749010345555788144?s=20
https://twitter.com/mugabe139/status/1678027567977078784?s=20
4. Take to the streets: Get in touch with Palm Oil Detectives to find out more.
5. Donate: Make a one-off or monthly donation to Palm Oil Detectives as a way of saying thank you and to help pay for ongoing running costs of the website and social media campaigns. Donate here
Pledge your support#Benin #Boycott4wildlife #BoycottMeat #BoycottPalmOil #BurkinaFaso #Colobus #CoteDIvoire #CriticallyEndangeredSpecies #dams #deforestation #extinction #ForgottenAnimals #Ghana #hunting #hydroelectric #IvoryCoast #Mammal #meatDeforestation_ #mining #monkey #monkeys #Nigeria #PalmOil #palmOilDeforestation #palmoil #poachers #poaching #Primate #primates #primatology #tobacco #Togo #vegan #WestAfrica #WhiteThighedColobusColobusVellerosus
