Colobus Trust

Category: Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Human - Primate Conflict Resolution, Research, deforestation | Date: Jul 28 2009 | By: colobus

Diani is the most magnificent place ever, I come from western Kenya where people there are so passionate about farming of crops. I am very sure that everyone understand what I mean when I talk about crop farming, not many trees are found here, no forests, no wild animals live here anymore. My main point here today is about Diani, the place I currently live, I have been here for thirteen years now. I have worked with monkeys in trying to fight for rights and help them live a better life but for the last few years I have had sightings that are interesting to see. Lately I have seen a new species of monkey that looks like half vervet and half syke monkeys, I mean from the head they look vervet but from the rear end they look Sykes.This is one thing that many people may not want to believe because Diani has always had only four known species of monkeys, namely, colobus , baboons , vervets and Sykes.

(Photograph taken by Yvonne A. de Jong & Thomas M. Butynski)

I have never heard of cross breed amongst monkeys before,but now it seems to me that the real problem of deforestation in Diani is phasing out other species of monkey who have found it hard to survive on a very limited patch of coral rag forest remaining in Diani. I am now officially inviting people to see this new species so that we confirm a fifth species of monkeys in Diani. It will be interesting to see the effects of deforestation in Diani because many more funny looking species of animals will come up due to serious destruction we are witnessing here.

John Abuor- Colobus Trust, Animal Welfare Unit

www.colobustrust.org

Tags: deforestation, habitat restoration, human-wildlife conflict, Research

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Category: Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Marketing, Research, deforestation, sustainable, volunteer | Date: Jul 23 2009 | By: colobus

Camp Kenya along with Colobus trust completed a preliminary study of Kaya Muhaka (KM) from July 14-16. The following is a brief summary of what was found and recommendation for further research. The three days used with Camp Kenya volunteers and Colobus Trust staff were used as a preliminary study to decide whether or not further research would be necessary and which methods would best suit research in KM.

Two methods were tried during the three days, transects and casual watch. Transect method involves picking a starting point on one end of the forest and walking along a baring, in this case 90 degrees or East. Transects are then repeated every 100m. In the end you have a parallel transects running along the entire length of the forest. In the future distance sampling will be used with the data collected to give an estimated population size of a particular species, in this case the Angolan black and white colobus. Casual watch is done by gridding the entire forest and remaining stationary for an extended period of time. Groups set out into the forest to predetermined position. The groups then separate within the limits of the section, generally 50m sq. and sit quietly recording all observations.

During the three days of field work we completed six transects. Because there was no existing map we arbitrarily picked a point in the forest near the tree nursery. Without a GPS it was difficult to determine the exact distance walked but with pacing we estimate the length of transects to be around 1.8k. During these transects we spotted twelve individual Colobus in three troops. The majority of sightings were located on the East side of the forest where the percentage of canopy cover and height is much greater. Other species noted: One bell hinged tortoise, one squirrel species, one viper species and one troop of yellow baboons.

Two periods of casual watch were completed with two groups resulting in 4 hours and 30 minutes of total survey time. During this period nine individuals of Colobus in two troops had been spotted. A number of unidentified bird species had been observed as well as two bush pigs. Droppings from what was believed to be a suni antelope were also found.

On the final day two teams set out in different directions to gain an estimated size of the entire forest. Walking in two directions and counting paces we gauge the perimeter to be about 6-7k around and likely 2k at its widest depth from East to West.  It appears to be slightly rectangle in shape but without a GPS or more time it was not possible to be certain.  On this walk three more individuals Colobus had been spotted alone from a distance. It was not possible to confirm whether they were lone males or if their troops were nearby. In total 24 individuals and 5 troops had been spotted in 3 days.

Kaya Muhaka is a protected forest reserve located near Camp Kenya’s base in Muhaka, Kenya. Camp Kenya is in the process of planting a buffer zone around the Kaya in order to reduce the reliance on the natural resources from the forest and to increase protection.  In order to help gain support in conservation efforts it is necessary to know the importance if this forest to the wildlife and surrounding communities. KM is a very unique forest in that the forest bed is almost entirely sand measuring 0.5m or more in many places. This creates a number of interesting micro-habitats which could be of conservation value.

It is the Colobus Trusts opinion that more research is needed to fully understand the importance of this forest. From the impressive number of sighting we obtained in the three survey days we can assume that a large population of Colobus still lives in KM and that this is still an important habitat for this species. A full census should be completed to compare against the previous one done in 2005. It would also be useful to have a look at bird species. The spotted ground thrush is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. If it was found to nest or migrate through KM, as it does in other forest nearby, this would add significant value to KM. The Zanji elephant shrew is not listed due to deficient data. It is unclear if KM is an appropriate habitat for this animal because of its sandy floor. Knowing this would add helpful information to understanding the habitats of this little understood species.

In order to complete a full survey of this forest we recommend using the transect method. It is much less time consuming and generally more accurate. Full maps will first need to be built to have a clear view of the area to be covered and to decide number of transects needed. While on transects all species sightings should be recorded. Time should also be allocated for bird surveys.

These are basic recommendations for the next steps in KM. Further research will be of both conservation and socio-economical value. It is up to Camp Kenya to decide where they would like to go from here. Colobus Trust was hired as research consultants and would be happy to continue this relationship. For any further quires please contact the Colobus Trust.

www.ColobusTrust.org

Tags: deforestation, Habbitat restoration, Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Research, sustainable, volunteer

One response so far

Category: Fundraising, Marketing | Date: Jul 20 2009 | By: colobus

Dear friends of the Colobus Trust (CT)

Introduction of the new CT manager

Managing the Colobus Trust (CT) is a challenge, but one close to my heart.  My name is Eirik Jarl Trondsen, and on July 7.2009 I started my new job with CT.  Thanks to recent efforts by several CT board members, Elodie and the Colobus staff the trust is already recovering from a very challenging 08/09 period. The challenges are still numerous, and there is a long way to go, but the process has begun.

Personally I look forward to fighting for protecting the beauty of Diani Beach, and surrounding areas. The forest and wildlife, that depend on it is under constant threat from blind, unconscious development.

The opportunities for the trust are many. General awareness on environmental protection is on the rise, the tourist industry is keener to be eco and primate friendly, and the overcrowded and overdeveloped beaches elsewhere is a visible warning to Diani Beach.

With me I bring 8 years of program management experience from CARE International, since 2001 based in Kenya. I have spent the last 2 years managing a bio fuel project in the nearby Shimba Hills.  Some of the CARE projects I dealt with were in he field of conservation, so I know something about the challenges of sustainability in conservation work.

I see professionalization of CT and economic sustainability as main priorities. The potential for conservation is growing, in a region under increased pressure from uncontrolled development.

If you have any questions or suggestions please let me know. My telephone number is 0733124774, and e-mail eirik@colobustrust.com or ejtconsult@gmail.com

2 responses so far

Category: Human - Primate Conflict Resolution, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation, deforestation, volunteer | Date: Jul 16 2009 | By: colobus

 Hello all, Andrew here and I am the new assistant manager here at the Colobus Trust. I’ve been working here for little over a month and it’s been an incredible experience so far. The team here has really made me feel welcome. I came from GVI working with Friends of Shimoni Forest and have now switched Wildlife direct pages to Colobus Trust. There has yet to be a dull day here at the trust and I am learning something new every second.  One experience has really changed my life. It was early Sunday morning and we already had two calls to pick up three dead Sykes monkeys…this was not going to be a good day.  We drove north up Diani beach road to the first call and arrived to find an adult female dead in the middle of the road with a male standing protectively over her.  After fending him off I managed to pick up the female, but while I was doing so one of the volunteers noticed another monkey lying on the grass just next to the road. This one was tiny and at first I thought it must also have been killed by the car that hit its mother. However, as I got closer I realized it was still breathing.  Knowing time was critical it took two of us to retrieve the baby, one to pick it up and the other to keep the male from attacking us as he tried to defend the infant. We rushed it back to the clinic and after checking him over we discovered that miraculously he had not sustained a single injury, despite the fact that he was probably being carried by his mother when she was hit.  He was, however, in acute shock and desperately needed to be rehydrated and warmed up.  We tried to give him baby formula with a syringe but he was too weak to drink and in the end we had to put him on a drip in order to get enough fluids into him.  Slowly but surely he began to improve, although for the first twenty four hours it was a bit touch and go.  As he grew stronger he became a lot more vocal and active, starting to climb bookcases and causing all the havoc you would expect a baby monkey to cause!   We think he is about two weeks old which means that he requires round the clock care. He needs to be fed every three hours (night and day) and someone to carry him round constantly to keep him warm and provide social interaction. It’s a full time job caring for Eric, named after Eric Sykes the British comedian, but we have become quite close. It’s going to be hard when the time comes for him to leave but I know it is the best thing for him. Until that time comes he will remain a member of the Colobus Trust family. He has become quite comfortable sleeping with me and will happily wake me up every morning by running around and playing with my face.  

Caring for these animals is one of the most important things we do here at the Trust. Animals like Eric who lose their mothers due to human disturbance when they are so young do not stand a chance in the wild without assistance. It’s going to be quite a job getting him to where he needs to be in order to be release back into the wild. I truly believe it is our responsibility to ensure that the destruction caused by our kind has as little impact on the wildlife as possible, both the individual and the species as a whole. It’s not an easy thing we do here and it would not be possible without the support of our volunteers and donors like you. I’ll be giving up-dates on how our new family member is doing from time to time so be sure to check back and watch him grow with us! Thanks again for all your support. Andrew Hayes.  

Tags: human-wildlife conflict, primate rescue, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation

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Category: Education, Fundraising, Marketing | Date: Jul 03 2009 | By: colobus

This is Margi again, settling in to life at the Colobus Trust and finding ways for my particular background and skills to be useful here. This week I’ve been involved in a workshop for Trust staff, looking at what the Colobus Trust offers visitors when they come on the ‘eco-tour’. The idea was to come up with some new ways of presenting the tour and engaging with visitors, based on work I’ve done with guided walk leaders in a UK National Park.

Eco-tours are an important source of income for the Trust. Back in 2007 they hosted over 1000 tours during the year. But the numbers plummeted in 2008 when tourism dried up as a result of the post-election political violence. It’s beginning very slowly to pick up again this year, but there’s still a long way to go, and there’s stiff competition from commercial tour operators offering safaris and boat trips - although what the Trust offers is an entirely different experience, of course.

Visitors come as couples, families or groups of friends, and get a very individual experience. The tour got a glowing write-up in a recent article in Kenya’s national Sunday newspaper, though some people are disappointed if they don’t actually see Colobus monkeys - Trust staff have to explain that the Colobus are wild animals and not predictable!

Anyway, in a competitive market it’s always worth making what’s good even better, and when I mentioned I’d done similar work in the UK, I was asked if I could share current ‘best practice’ ideas with the Colobus Trust team. Two members of staff, Mary and Esther, are the regular tour guides but most of the team can find themselves leading a tour if it gets busy or if visitors turn up without booking, so everyone participated in the workshop.

We looked first at what the tour was aiming to achieve - what does the Trust want visitors to learn, feel, and then actually do? Getting people to sign up as supporters and donors is obviously a key aim, but promoting responsible tourism is also important. Keeping in mind that people retain only a tiny fraction of the information they receive, but are more likely to remember the overall experience, we looked a how to identify simple key messages and some ‘tricks of the trade’ to convey them in an engaging way.

The highlight of the workshop was when participants, working in pairs, prepared a small section of the tour using some of the new ideas and then delivered this to the rest of the group (Peter, Esther and Mwitu are pictured below). Everyone gave lively and engaging presentations, with the group offering constructive comments and extra suggestions. Trees that cure 40 diseases and snails that take care of the garden are just two of the things I learned about, that have stuck in my mind and made me see the natural world differently, thanks to the Colobus Trust team. I’m sure visitors will feel the same!

Tags: Eco-tourism, responsible tourism, staff training, visitors

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