Colobus Trust

Category: Human - Primate Conflict Resolution, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation, Progress report, volunteer | Date: Oct 27 2009 | By: colobus

We have been nursing the two infant bush babies that were rescued here in Diani. They were so young that at first we were not sure whether they would both survive but we decided to try anyway. The first bush baby, who we eventually named Bahati (meaning luck in Swahili), was about 3 weeks old; the other one, who we named Gizmo, was about 2 days old. We all knew it was going to be a challenge, primarily because at their tender ages they critically need maternal care. We quickly included them into our daily schedule which meant they were always with someone who was feeding, cleaning or monitoring them. This was an eventful task because they had to be fed every 2 hours, 24 hours a day, needed to be watched and we also had to massage their genital area to facilitate defecation.

Everybody at the trust had already started to create a bond with Bahati and Gizmo, and they had become very comfortable around us but unfortunately the young Gizmo passed away last week after a week with us. He was just too young to survive without his mother’s care. We will continue to provide 24 hour care for Bahati who is doing very well and we will let you know how he is getting on.

The Colobus Team.

Tags: bush baby, Colobus Trust, diani, Galago senegalensis, Kenya, Rescue, volunteer

One response 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

One response so far

Category: Animal Electrocutions, Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Human - Primate Conflict Resolution, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation | Date: Jun 30 2009 | By: colobus

On the 26 June 2009, it became very clear to me that electrocution of colobus monkeys is one single change that we still have to fight tooth and nail. On this day a great supporter of the colobus trust and who is also a Diani resident called on our hot line to report a colobus monkey who had just been electrocuted next to her house. As a response team I had to collect all the necessary rescue kit from our small veterinary clinic as fast as my little legs could carry me along. Remembering how bad electrocution cases can be, I was completely caught in between passion for animals and the likely picture I was going to see at the site. I can assure you would not want to see one in your life time.

Rescue mission is one task that always require preparedness and dedication, the colobus trust posses both. It is only possible for the monkeys to be rescued in time if facilities are adequate and sufficiently available. On this fatal day the most unfortunate thing was just about to happen, the only vehicle the colobus trust has was a way at the airport picking up volunteers. A big thanks to Elodie, our acting manager, who allowed us to use her small car for this mission.

“Good lord” this phrase, though not very famous with most people, helped my feelings, because the said electrocuted colobus monkey had just gone up the tree after a huge electric shock he had suffered swept him onto the ground, no burns, no death. By the way before I forget, the most important thing we have done to prevent electrocution is insulting power line wires, and do you know what, one conduit pipe fixed on six metres of power line can save a whole family of colobus monkeys.

The one thing I still want to do for this survivor is to give him a name, a remarkable name, please suggest one for him, would you?.

John Abuor-Animal Welfare Officer-Colobus Trust.

“And remember conservationists and animal lovers do not keep pet monkeys even though they love them so much!”

www.ColobusTrust.org

Tags: Animal Electrocutions, Habitat conservation, human-wildlife conflict, primate rescue, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation

3 responses so far

Category: Education, Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Human - Primate Conflict Resolution, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation, bushmeat, climate change, deforestation | Date: Jun 12 2009 | By: colobus

My name is Hamisi, Education and Marketing  officer at the Colobus Trust. It has been very wonderful interacting with the kids for the past twelve years. Most of our environmental education workshops are on Tuesdays.

Last Tuesday we had students from Madago Primary School. The kids seemed to be shy at first, but as the day progressed things started to heat up. Most of them were new to the site and found some facts to be strange. A colobus monkey has only 4 fingers! But one could tell from the look in their faces that they were really enjoying this session. 23 students accompanied by two teachers, had their uniforms turning the Colobus Trust premises into a colorfully area. Although all students come from around and they know most of the monkey issues, they learned a quite a lot from the two volunteers helping during the day (Heidi and Margi). Heidi, whose favorite word in conservation is ‘endemic’, managed to pump pressure on sleepy looking students. The entire day was fun altogether and all participants enjoy. Education was mostly based on Environmental issues, protection of trees, and being kind to all animals. Divided into four groups, named after the monkey species around (Colobus, Sykes, Vervets and Baboons), the competition was stiff. The baboons emerged the winners, maybe because they are always aggressive to the other small monkeys.

But the competition never ended here, because at the beach, girls wanted to challenge the boys on football. And with great support from their team captain, Heidi, they won 1-0. Boys you really let me down as I never believe in next time.

By the time we came back for the question and answer session, every body was thirst and drinking lots. This did not stop Hamisi, one of the smart students for the day from scooping home most of the prizes, many of which had been donated by our volunteers. At around 5.00 pm, Margi who had been very busy all afternoon also had to stop her work and come to say goodbye. Time had come for the students to leave.

We agreed to continue working together with them and very soon we shall send our team to plant trees in their school.

All this was possible from the donation we get through our blog. Whoever loves to support conservation education this is your opportunity. Please support us. Don’t miss next Tuesday as it will be more fun.

Thanks for supporting this vital programme.

Hamisi Pakiah.

Education Officer

One response so far

Category: Education, Fundraising, Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation, climate change, deforestation, good wood, volunteer | Date: Jun 10 2009 | By: colobus

Hi it’s Heidi here one of the eco-volunteers at Colobus Trust (although there are only two of us at the moment!)  I have been quite busy this week and wanted to share with you what I have been doing this week.  I offered to help revamp the Gift shop in the Colobus Trust so that they will have more opportunity to sell items supporting themselves.

I am a big believer in sustainability and community work so I ventured out into Diani earlier in the week with one of the staff to meet some of the local artists and carvers.

Selling carvings in Kenya is one of the main staples of income for many people here.  Unfortunately many artisans use endangered or illegal woods as they are perceived as more valuable to tourists.  One of the great things I learned on day one at the Colobus Trust is they promote and work with local people to use only “good woods.”  What is a “good wood” you ask?  Good wood is one of the following:  Neem, Coconut, Jacaranda, Mango or Grevillea.

Good Wood trees are easy to grow, durable and they don’t take so long to grow such as ebony, mahogany or rosewood.  If you have visited Africa before then you know how plentiful these carvings are everywhere you go.  They are so beautiful but the carvings from ebony and mahogany are heavier and of course from endangered forests in Kenya.  It only takes about a few years to grow a good wood tree but it can takes many more years to grow ebony or mahogany.  The Colobus Trust does a great job of teaching local people about good woods and encouraging them to carve only using good woods.  Sadly not everyone abides but they have managed to find one or two willing to carve in only good woods.

I made it my mission this week to find some more carvers for a variation of new and unique products offered by the Colobus Trust as well as see for myself the kinds of product out there on offer.  So what’s on offer?  There are lots of monkeys with silly faces and of course the stereotypical three monkey carvings …“monkey hear no evil, monkey see no evil, and monkey speak no evil.”  I was determined to find some new artists to help promote the Colobus Trust in a positive way using good woods and also creating some products that pertain to the Colobus Trust mission of conservation.  I simply wanted some Colobus monkeys!

I am happy to report that I succeeded in finding a few wonderful local artists right in Diani.  The first artists I will be promoting for new Colobus Trust products are named Stephen and Moses.  Stephen and Moses are brothers and they both carve and only carve using Jacaranda (a good wood).  I met many carvers this week throughout Diani but not all carved only using good woods as well as not being as high quality as their brothers’ product.  Moses and Stephen stood out to me for a couple of reasons after I spoke with them.  One, they insisted on using only Jacaranda as it was the best wood for carving and two, they have the most beautiful bird carvings in all of Diani!  I could see that through their work they take pride by using the wood’s natural curves and colorings to highlight a particular bird attribute.  I knew that I had found some wonderful local artists to try and form a partnership.

I asked them to mock up some sample Colobus monkey.    They knew exactly what a Colobus monkey looked like and were very eager to give it a go although they have never carved a monkey before.  I went back today to check on the samples but they were still working away on each of their carvings.  I have been promised the finished samples next week.  I asked them if they had any of their own ideas for Colobus or monkey items to sell in our gift shop and Moses said he also works in metal and can make anything out of old coins as well as other materials.  He beamed when I asked him for his ideas next week and said he will work all weekend on coming up with some suggestions.  I am so excited as this could really make a big difference to the product offering at the Colobus Trust but more importantly making a difference in local people’s lives.  I had also met with another artist, a painter, whom I asked to paint a sample oil painting picture of a Colobus and her baby.  I didn’t have a photo of a Colobus on me at the time but he said he knew the Colobus well and would do it from memory.  The painter was my last stop and I was so happily surprised to see his beautiful painting of the mother Colobus with her baby finished!  I purchased it out of my own money so we can sell it in the shop.

My pictures are from of some of our new artists that will be featured in our gift shop.  I am going to post their pictures in the shop so every item we sell has a great story behind it.  We will hopefully offer the “good wood” Colobus monkey carvings and other Diani fair-trade items for sale on the website as well so keep watching this space!  Remember World Conservation and always buy “good woods” (ask if you don’t know), let’s keep the trees going and plant a new one to celebrate.

Thanks for all your support for the Colobus.  Even the smallest purchase or donation can make a big difference.

Heidi, Eco-Volunteer

Colobus Trust

www.colobustrust.org

4 responses so far

Category: Education, Fundraising, Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation, climate change, deforestation, volunteer | Date: Jun 04 2009 | By: colobus

I arrived last week so apologies for the delay in writing my first blog.  I have been settling into this beautiful place quite nicely.  The Colobus Trust is located in Diani which is one of the most beautiful places in Kenya.  I was so happy to arrive here last week and see for myself all the work the Colobus Trust does to support conservation.

Arriving last week my first day at the Colobus Trust was quite busy.  I helped to plant some new indigenous tree seedlings in the nursery that will go to local hotels in Diani to support native trees for monkeys.  I also helped to clean the monkey cages (the only monkeys that are in cages here are ones that are currently in rehabilitation from being pets).  It is very sad to see the monkeys in the cages when you can easily see the rest of the wild troops jumping and playing in the trees all around the Colobus Trust grounds.  The staff explained to me that some of these monkeys have been pets for years and are currently being weaned off people food as well as learning how to forage for themselves.  They place large branches, flowers, seeds and other natural foods that are found freely here in Diani so the monkeys can get an idea as what to eat for themselves.

These monkeys look so sad but I know the Colobus Trust will do a good job to rehabilitate them and re-release them in their natural environment.

Re-release is such an important part of what the Colobus Trust do to support conservation.  They take in monkeys that were pets, sick or injured and help them rehabilitate so they can get back to their natural environment.  I happened to arrive on a day when one of the monkeys that was rescued by Colobus Trust was re-released.  He was a very young Sykes monkey and he fell from a tree and was seriously knocked unconscious.   A Diani resident called Colobus Trust and the Colobus Trust team rescued him from the road and took him in for assessment.  He stayed at Colobus Trust for a few days and was deemed to be ok after a thorough check up and fit for re-release.

Here are some of the pics I took on my first day at Colobus Trust.  I was so happy to see a success story on my first day and so glad I am here to help work alongside the Colobus Trust staff.  These guys are so caring and concerned about their environment and of course the monkeys.

If it wasn’t for volunteers like me and donors like you the Colobus Trust wouldn’t be here.  They make such a huge difference in their community in supporting the ecosystem and conservation.  Please support them even if you can only donate $5 or $20.   They are such a worthy conservation project that needs your support now more than ever as tourist and volunteer numbers are so low at the moment.  Thank you.

Heidi

Eco-Volunteer, Colobus Trust

www.colobustrust.org

Tags: Colobus monkey, Colobus Trust, diani, forest, Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Kenya, Monkey, rescued animals, trees

2 responses so far

Category: Human - Primate Conflict Resolution, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation, volunteer | Date: May 04 2009 | By: colobus

Around 3 months ago, a small box arrived to the door at The Colobus Trust. The box had come all the way from Tsavo National Park and made strange screeches and noises. We opened it, and inside we found a tiny, golden beige baby Vervet, around one month old, looking back at us. This was the stubborn infant that was soon going to wake us up during the nights, screaming for attention, mango and milk, in need of feeding every three hours. It had been found abandoned by its mother, playing with some children in Tsavo, so the journey all the way to the Trust had been long. After ensuring that he was not suffering from any illness, we prepared for him a cage with branches, fruits and a surrogate mother (a hot water bottle). During the days he played hide-and-seek with us, sometimes he could sit clinging to my stomach for hours while I was walking around the Trust working with other tasks. He was given all the love and attention he required, if not more – still, we were all watching him with a slight doubt in our eyes, knowing that he could not stay forever at the Trust. Where would he go, who would take care of him? We made a lot of effort trying to reach out to several Vervet Rehabilitation Centers, but no one seemed to have room for the Vervet infant.

Only a week later, another baby Vervet came in. This infant was even smaller than the first one – around two weeks old. He was found left alone just outside in the bush, also somehow abandoned by his mother, but this one seemed to be suffering a worse trauma. He was shocked and depressed, not interacting nor reacting to anything, but when left alone he would freak out and cry himself tired until anyone came back to hold him. Then we introduced him to our first baby Vervet, and it turned out to be a great solution. The two moved into the same cage and became friends, grooming, cuddling and sleeping in each other’s arms. Whenever there was a threat, the bigger one would take the smaller one in protection. It was so lovely to see, and it also meant that they could help each other through the hard times and give each other care and safety. They both grew more and more independent and explored their surroundings with a great sense of curiosity. However, we were still concerned about their future.

Just a few weeks later, a THIRD baby Vervet came in. This infant was between the age of the older and the younger, and very angel-like – it had been kept as a pet, and was finally handed over to the Trust a rainy February night. So now there were three small baby monkeys.

Luckily, we had a family just down the Diani Road who gave us the news that they were actually ready to adopt the baby monkeys during rehabilitation, before they were old enough and ready to be released back into the wild. We had found them a home! One day, they all moved into the house of Hillary, Isabella and Alex. The first time was not easy – the monkeys were a bit confused, jumping around hysterically, urinating on the furniture and eating every piece of food left outside. Hillary, Isabella and Alex had a hard time, especially with the smallest Vervet, who was still traumatized and a bit depressed. When I visited their new home only a week later, the monkeys were completely different. They were not aggressive at all, the smallest one was much happier and showed interest in its surroundings, exploring the environment and climbing the walls. They were eating with great appetite and showed a very healthy behaviour. Instead of moving them into a big rehabilitation enclose in the backyard of the house, as was the plan, they seemed to have made the house veranda their playground. They would sometimes leave the house to go exploring, but always returned again.

As for now, the monkeys are doing great on their favourite veranda. There are still many challenges that they need to face every day, some of them more difficult than others, but they are doing fine and growing more and more independent. One of the baby Vervets, though, just had a horrible experience while playing in the garden, and is currently treated for this little adventure. To be continued…

Anna Sandahl, Colobologist

Tags: primate rescue, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation, Vervet monkey, volunteer

4 responses so far

Category: Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation | Date: Mar 27 2009 | By: colobus

Eventful days at the Trust this week, we were happy to release two of the primates we had in our care today. Our first case was that of a female Vervet monkey that came into our care about two months ago. She was found on the grounds of the Indian Ocean Hotel in Diani, with a severe head injury. At first we suspected she might be blind and paralyzed, but gradually with treatment and the help of veterinarian Dr. Oscar Rerieya she improved immensely each day, her vision was back, she could move her legs and the only remnant of her unfortunate accident was a little lameness in her left hind leg. Unfortunately in the process of rehabilitation she delivered a stillbirth, but on the bright side not having to care for a baby sped up her recovery. Today was the big day and Tom and John took Female Vervet back to her home territory. We were worried about the troop not accepting her back after such a long period of recovery, but no cause for alarm, she recognized her troop instantly and they welcomed her back as if she had never left.

Our other story is that of a feisty Colobus monkey that got himself badly injured in a fight with the resident male of his troop. Usually we try not to intervene in such ‘natural causes’ but his injuries were too severe and deep, if left untreated he would contract tetanus and die like many unlucky cases we had witnessed in the past. This time the team decided to put the cart before the horse and brought patient Colobus to our vet clinic, this is after some impressive tree climbing skills by John and Peter our field assistants. We proceeded to suture the wounds and give him a tetanus vaccine, to be on the safe side, after he had woken up he ate a good meal of flamboyant flowers and the next day we brought him back to Diani Reef hotel were we found him. Good luck monkeys!

The Colobus Team

Tags: colobus, Kenya, vervet, volunteer

2 responses so far

Category: Human - Primate Conflict Resolution, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation, volunteer | Date: Feb 28 2009 | By: colobus

Foremost we would like to kindly thank you for the warm welcoming we have received from all of you. We (Tom and Rona) are off to a busy start and have many things planned for the Colobus Trust, but one step at a time;

We had an interesting week here at the veterinary clinic many cases came in, some ending happily and some sad. Our positive story happened on Tuesday when our field assistant Peter found a young Sykes monkey on the ground exhibiting neurological symptoms (tremors and convulsions). After admitting and examining it we suspected he had been poisoned by a likely Organophosphate or Pyrethroid substance.

We managed to administer the proper Antidote and treat him, and by the next morning he had been well and ready for release. Poisoning such as this can happen when uncontrolled insecticide treatment is being given to crops and fields. It may also be a deliberate action against monkeys perceived as pests. We must remember they have a right to exist here just as we do (even slightly more) and we must keep that in mind when tending to our own activities. That night we also received a Bushbaby, which was sadly attacked by dogs and dead on arrival. We buried him in our compound. Another issue of human-wildlife conflict is the domestic animals we introduce to this habitat. Although Bushbabies are largely arboreal they do sometimes descend to the ground to forage and this noise may attract dogs to the area, as they are quite slow on the ground and are not so well equipped for self defense these cases may happen. The next morning we sent out a team to one of the hotels in Diani which informed us there was a sick Sykes monkey about their premises with a swelling of the lower jaw. After capturing and diagnosing him, we sadly reached the conclusion that he suffered from a malignant (cancerous) growth of the mandible (lower jaw). Despite his condition he seemed to eat and drink and was not neglected by his fellow troop members. It appeared he has had this condition since he was an infant, an estimate of about one or two years. We gave him some local treatment and then we were left to make an ethical decision; Would we release him back to the wild, as there was nothing medical that could be done for him (practically and financially) or would we euthanize him? We had so much respect for this little guy surviving this long that we didn’t feel it was our decision as to when and how he should pass. So after making sure that he was indeed eating and was not in any pain, we decided to get him back to his troop and let him die naturally as his condition would not pose a threat to any other monkeys or humans. We wish him well.

Another thing we are trying to do is get our veterinary clinic better equipped as we are missing some vital medical supplies and drugs. As the only first response center for wildlife in the coastal area it is vital that we do not lose any of our patients due to lack of resources, so any donations on your behalf would be very much appreciated and would get the clinic up and running. We mostly need very basic supplies and even small donations would help us greatly. With your help and our efforts we can really make a difference and do our best to protect Diani’s habitat and wildlife population.

Rona and Tom

Tags: Colobus Trust, diani, Monkey, release, sykes, volunteering

One response so far

Category: Fundraising, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation | Date: Jan 15 2009 | By: colobus

At The Colobus Trust, the phone often rings with news of dead or suffering animals that have been involved in road accidents or electrocuted on power lines.  So on Thursday 8 January it was a more pleasant surprise to receive a call about an animal that wasn’t injured but still needed our help.

The call was from a local resident about a bush baby she had been rearing as a pet for about a year.  Its wild instincts had started to kick in and it had bitten her earlier in the day so she decided it was time for the Colobus Trust to get involved.

Peter, Tim and I went round to pick it up and found it in a laundry basket – not the sort of place a bush baby is likely to feel most at home.  We brought it back to the vet clinic to give it a once over and it seemed particularly annoyed so it went straight into a carrier cage.

Over the next couple of days we worked to make one of the rehabilitation cages suitable in the quarantine area.  These cages are designed with larger primates in mind and Peter had once put a bush baby in and it was able to escape.  We had to reduce the hole size by winding wire around each individual opening to make the cage more secure.

To help save resources, and as a poetic form of recycling, we were able to use snare wires which have been collected from local forests over the past months to complete the job.  It was a long job but finally the cage was complete.

On Tuesday we were able to furnish the cage with a selection of foliage and branches from trees in the garden to enable the bush baby to have adequate cover during the day and to provide leaves to make a nest for sleeping.

Then came the transfer; true to form he was not happy at being woken in the middle of the day just to move into another cage.  Finally in he snarled and hissed at us in such a way that you wouldn’t think we had saved him from a life of captivity. Although they look cute and cuddly they can be very aggressive.

He seems to have settled in much more now and is certainly happier than he was.  The plan is to begin opening the cage in the evenings so he can go out exploring.  However it is uncertain whether he can be released in to the gardens here permanently.

Bush babies usually form small groups of mother and offspring or occasionally small bachelor groups.  The males use urine to mark boundaries of their territories and can be aggressive to intruders.  At the cottage there are already a group of bush babies which come to feed in the evenings so only time will tell if he will be accepted.

Because of this there are added pressures on the Trusts resources to continue feeding him until he is ready to be released; this is in addition to the seven vervet monkeys which continue to be housed at the Trust until they have built up the skills to survive back in the wild. The vervets are also rescued pets, some of whom have been with us over a year.

Any donations would be welcome to help with the upkeep of the bush baby or the vervet monkeys; while we try to feed them on wild foods when possible, in the dry season the possibility reduces so more supplemented food is required, all of which needs money to buy.  You can help us by using the “donate” button on the right hand side of this blog. All money donated goes directly towards helping support the Colobus Trust and helping us do such work.

Like other non-human primates, bush babies are considered likely sources of diseases that can cross species barriers and so they are not a good idea when considering a pet.  They are wild animals and while they may seem very cute, they have sharp teeth and can inflict a painful bite. Better to choose a cat or dog which have been domesticated specifically for this purpose.

Tracey Stenson, Colobologist

(Photos by Tim Jukes)

Tags: bush baby, Monkey, pets, vervet

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