Colobus Trust

Category: Human - Primate Conflict Resolution | Date: Mar 11 2008 | By: admin

Finally our blogging can recommence. After a long spell in Nairobi sorting out my work permit I have returned to Diani!

This is the start of our new initiative to tell all about the multitude of tasks that make up our work to protect the endangered Angolan Colobus and it’s habitat. Over the next few weeks we hope you will learn what it really takes to do this.

We will start today with one of our first projects, the building and maintenance of our world famous Colobridges. They came about as a direct response to the huge numbers of Colobus (and other arboreal primate species) lost in road traffic accidents (RTAs) in Diani during the its development.

The problem is simple. When their habitat is bisected by a road, as the forest in Diani is, wildlife which is at home in trees will have to descend to the ground to move between the forest patches. This puts the wildlife at risk as arboreal species aren’t so natural at moving across the ground. Because of this many lives are lost under the wheels of the many cars, buses, matatus and recklessly fast staff. This was noticed by the pioneers of The Colobus Trust and they acted, in force, to reduce the problem. Firstly they campaigned to get a 50kph speed limit enforced on Diani Beach Road and secondly they came up with the idea of a Colobridge.

The idea is simple. Through the use of a horizontally placed wire ladder from tree to tree you can provide a path across the road, in areas where RTAs are of a hight frequency, for Diani’s arboreal primates. Some of which, especially the Colobus, are not so good at moving at ground level. The initial bridges were very much a success with a large drop in the numbers of RTAs. So this project became

A modern Colobridge is a simple to build, affordable way of saving lives. They are built out of a wire frame covered with plastic tubing and attached to a tree or platform at either end. We spend every Monday working on the bridges 26 bridges in Diani. Which need to be checked and maintained every 3 months. Each new bridge costs 25,000 KSh to build with a further annual cost of 10,000 KSh for its upkeep.

Building a walkway over the road has provided a very successful path to reduce fatalities here in Diani and the idea has been used to similar effect elsewhere. We are very happy for the Flying Foxes of Australia as well as one known bridge in Uganda where people have used what we have learnt to help animals afar.

As far as the future of this program goes, we have been monitoring the use of these bridges make sure they are used and placed effectively. Unfortunately, Vincent, the volunteer in charge of the project left us nearly a month ago and with no knew volunteers this assessment has had to be put on hold. We will, however, keep maintaining the bridges and await the return of someone to fill his shoes.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our latest donors:

Antonio C
Scott M
Maggie R
Muriel T

Thank you all,

Gwili