Colobus Trust

Category: Habitat Restoration/Conservation, Research, community, deforestation, volunteer | Date: Nov 21 2009 | By: colobus

On Wednesday afternoon staff and volunteers from the Colobus Trust completed a 3-day census of Colobus monkeys in the Gongoni Forest Reserve. WWF had given us a small amount of funding to conduct the census, which would use the Colobus monkey as an indicator of the quality of the forest. We had rangers from the Kenya Forest Service with us who were armed with rifles to protect us from buffalo, and locals with pangas (machetes) to help us navigate through the forest.

We were divided into three groups and given GPSs with a coordinate which we would attempt to follow down to the other edge of the forest in a straight line. The first day was extremely dense and thick because it was all secondary growth forest. Everyone battled their way through the undergrowth, sometimes crawling, and it took one group 2 hours to cover 1 km.  Some Colobus were seen but everyone was hoping for more!

The second day of the census was definitely not what we were expecting it to be. Immediately off the bat poaching camps and snares were found. The Gongoni Forest has become really thin due to illegal cutting, mostly by local poachers who chop down large trees and sell the wood for house-building or furniture-making. Whilst making their way through the woods, one of our teams came across a group of poachers who were in the middle of cutting up trees. The forest ranger with them told the team to be quiet and to get down. They waited whilst the ranger snuck up on the poachers and then shouted at them to put their hands above their head and get on the ground. One man escaped but the other was caught. The ranger marched him out off the forest along with the census team and they met up with another census team at the other end of the transect. Both of the rangers wanted to be the ones to bring the poacher in which meant that our census activities for the day came to an abrupt end. Both teams walked with the guards and the poacher to a meeting point where a police truck was going to come and pick them up. On the way, the guards spotted another poacher with an even larger bundle of wood. They sprinted after him and one of them fired a blank to scare the poacher. Before everyone knew it there were two poachers handcuffed and waiting under a tree to be picked up.

On the third day, some transects had to be modified in order to complete the census on time due to the fact that the poachers on the day before had set us back. Two teams completed two 3.5 km transects but one of these teams saw no monkeys at all! Far too many poaching camps and garages (where poachers chop the wood) were discovered. It was sad to realize how hard the Kenya Forest Service’s job is and how ineffective some methods may be at preventing poaching.

It was a relief for most to finish their last transects and escape the heat and humidity of the woods. Those days spent in the forest were difficult work! Making the way through lots of heavy bush, vines and thorny branches did not make travel very easy. Despite it all, the volunteers are happy that they had the experience but are thrilled to get back to normal days at the trust!

We’ll give you the results of our census as soon as we can!

Thanks for reading,

Hannah Follender

Eco-volunteer

And The Colobus Team

Tags: Census, Colobus Trust, deforestation, diani, Kenya, Logging, Poaching, primates, snares, volunteering

No responses yet

Category: Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation, Progress report, volunteer | Date: Nov 20 2009 | By: colobus

Dear Readers,

We apologise for the lack of updates recently from the Trust! We’ve had a lot going on which we’ll update you all on in the next few days.

Regular visitors to our blog will know that we rescued a Bush Baby which we named Bahati. He was a favourite with the visiting school children as well as all the volunteers at the trust – even when we had to wake up every 3 hours to feed him! We taught him to jump over short distances and Marvo was building up to the ‘double jump’! Bahati was being fed on a diet of fruit and milk, but efforts to move him onto a diet of insects failed.

Last Monday he became a little weak but seemed to be improving and his appetite returned to normal. He was back to his noisy, active self on Tuesday. However when we woke him for one of his feeds on Wednesday afternoon he was very drowsy and would not feed. His condition did not improve and sadly he passed away later that day. As you all may know raising an infant without tender maternal care is very difficult and we did the best we could in order to see Bahati gradually become a healthy grown up Bush Baby but it was not meant to be.

Above: Our beloved Bahati with Marvo

He really was part of the family and his death has affected us all very strongly. We all miss him very much.

Thanks for reading and look out for our next update coming soon…

The Colobus Team.

Tags: bush baby, Colobus Trust, diani, Galago senegalensis, Kenya, primates, Progress report, volunteering

No responses yet

Category: Education, Marketing, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation, volunteer | Date: Sep 30 2009 | By: colobus

Hi, it’s Eva- a Wildlife Clubs of Kenya student on attachment in Colobus Trust. This my second week in Colobus Trust and I am really excited by the marvelous activities carried out. Some of the activities I have participated in are tree trimming and also last Wednesday we rescued a monkey. I am also assisting in marketing department whereby we advertise in hotels within Diani, then we bring tourists for an eco-tour.

I am really enjoying my stay in Colobus Trust. All can come participate in this primate conservation centre for a better tomorrow.

Eva

Marketing Volunteer

Tags: Colobus Trust, Eco-tourism, Marketing, volunteering, Wildlife Clubs of Kenya

No responses yet

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, Human - Primate Conflict Resolution, Marketing, volunteer | Date: Feb 24 2009 | By: colobus

The wind of change is blowing through The Colobus Trust. Much is happening here at the moment; sadly we have had a goodbye party here, dedicated to our now former assistant manager, Gwili Gibbon. After 1,5 years at the Colobus Trust he is now leaving to continue his career with Kenyan wildlife work in Chyulu Hills, so all of the Trust-members have now taken farewell of him. He will always be remembered and is welcomed back whenever he feels to visit the Colobus Cottage again. The goodbye barbeque was very nice though – we enjoyed grilled goat and Anna’s and Filip’s first home-made chapatis together with some Tusker beer. The staff, volunteers and board members of The Colobus Trust were present, and this also turned out to be a good opportunity to introduce two new volunteers that are taking over after Gwili – Rona and Tom, a veterinary and a photographer from Israel. We are very happy to have the chance to welcome these two enthusiastic and competent persons since the two of us (Anna and Filip) are leaving for some traveling in Kenya and Tanzania. However, we will be back for work at the Colobus again in the beginning of April.

Then we will also carry through a project that we have just initiated, which is a sign campaign where our aim is to put up warning signs on all the hotel yards around Diani, as a part of our Pest Management Program. Monkeys stealing food from tourists is an increasing problem both for the hotel guests and the hotel managements, and is a direct consequence of tourists feeding them, unaware of this unwished chain reaction. To inform about this and get the necessary hotel permissions, all the hotel managers in Diani have been invited to a short briefing that will take place at The Colobus Trust in April. We are trying to cope financially with this very important project, but our budget is tight and any donation that could contribute to the Sign Campaign would be deeply appreciated.

Anna Sandahl and Filip Celander, Colobologists

Tags: assistant manager, board members, Gwili Gibbon, Pest management, sign campaign, volunteering

3 responses so far

Category: Blogroll, Human - Primate Conflict Resolution, volunteer | Date: Feb 18 2009 | By: colobus

So far in 2009 The Colobus Trust has hosted two groups of Camps International students. This is just one example of how we work together with, and host, other organisations to facilitate and promote the vast majority of our work.

21 students aged 17-20 joined us at our base for two blocks of five days. Both programs started with an in-house education day during which students. This consisted of a morning of informative lectures focusing on introducing the students to Colobus Monkeys, Colobus Monkey conservation, and a general lecture on safety in the field. They were also told what to expect in the forest. This was followed by an afternoon walking in the forest where they learnt about the history of the local Digo people and their Kaya Forests as well as seeing firsthand the threats posed to the future of Diani Forest.

The remaining part of the week was spent working on practical conservation activities. Many of which would not have been possible for us without the increased number of workers we had. Days were spent desnaring, undertaking beach cleanups, caring for and feeding our ex-pet Vervet monkeys, preparing insulation material (above) and much more. Many of our volunteers joined in to help with this.

The extra hands provided by the students allowed us to prepare the insulation material in record time and both programs facilitated the insulation of a hotspot and we covered over a kilometer of cable! Below is a picture of the insulation material being put into place on the Zawama hotspot.

It is thanks to organisations like Camps International, who work alongside and support us, as well as providing core funding, that we are able to carry on much of our work. We look forward to working together again in the future!

The Colobus Team

Tags: Camps International, cars, colobus, Electrocution, Human-Primate Conflict, Insulation, kplc, road traffic accidents, volunteering, volunteers

One response so far

Category: Fundraising, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation | Date: Feb 16 2009 | By: colobus

As two of our volunteers just left to continue their journey (former Trust-bloggers Tracey Stenson and Tim Jukes), another baby vervet monkey just came in. This baby is even smaller than the first one; approximately 2 weeks old and still in constant need of a surrogate mother holding him tight. He was found left alone just outside the bush, shocked and depressed, somehow abandoned by his mother way too early. After having introduced him successfully to our first baby vervet (about 1,5 months old), he moved into the same cage, and the two of them became friends. They cuddled, groomed each other, and spent the night sleeping in each other’s arms. The smallest baby vervet still has some problems being fed, since he hasn’t learned yet how to suck but to bite and scratch quite hard, but he is now hand-reared every 3 hours together with the other baby vervet, something that has turned out to be a good solution.

The bigger baby Vervet, though, shows good indications of growing independent. Partly, he has started chewing solid food, e.g. watermelon and banana instead of infant milk formula, and if he doesn’t like something you do to him, he truly shows that his teeth are developing. His world is getting bigger and bigger too: yesterday his exploring curiosity took him to new heights, as he climbed halfway up a big Neem tree. Usually, the Vervet mother pinches the baby when it climbs too far away from her, but as we couldn’t reach our baby Vervet he just kept on climbing, until he realized he wanted to get down again, which apparently wasn’t as easy as climbing up… We got him down by holding a long branch (with a piece of banana on top if it) so close to him that he could grab it. He even proved his bravery by mocking with Nala - the cat of the house, twice his size - a situation that resulted in Nala being chased away, surrendering.

However, it is a lot to do for the two volunteers that are left. The two babies need constant looking after and to be carried around and held, and at the same time there are regular tasks, like giving eco-tours for the tourists, keep on de-snaring and other field projects. We strongly feel the need of more volunteers joining us as currently there is a lot to do at the Trust. Fortunately, a couple living here in Diani just gave the information that they are going to adopt the two baby Vervets and build a rehabilitation cage in their garden for them.

Anna Sandahl, Filip Celander, Colobologists

Tags: colobus, diani, monkeys, primate rescue, Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation, vervet, volunteering

3 responses so far

Category: Primate Rescue/Rehabilitation | Date: Jan 19 2009 | By: colobus

17:15 Monday 12^th January 2009: Gwili’s land rover skids to a halt at the entrance to Colobus Cottage, he jumps out and shouts that he needs help. Gwili had just found an adult female Sykes monkey lying in the middle of the road on his way home. It lay there on the passenger seat, breathing shallowly and unable to move. This was clearly another road traffic accident (RTA); probably someone rushing home from work, ignoring the 50kph speed limit, hitting the monkey then driving off – a regular occurrence here in Diani.

We shifted her to the clinic and called the local vet to take a look. The vet treated her for shock, gave her a variety of booster injections and hooked her up to a drip. Though there were no visible external injuries or signs of fracture, the monkey was clearly in a bad way. There was little response in any limb, her eyes were open but stared blankly into space and her heartbeat was weak and erratic. We feared internal injuries and a possible blood clot in the brain. We made her as comfortable as possible and hoped for improvement in the morning.

We kept treating her and she hung on for 48hrs before finally passing away during the night of 14^th Jan. One tough little monkey. We buried her in the garden the next day. Tracey and I have been working at the Colobus trust for a mere two weeks. Already we have seen 2 baboons (1 RTA, 1 electrocution), 4 Colobus (3 electrocutions, 1 unknown) and 3 Sykes monkeys (RTAs) die in Diani. I’ll let you do the maths on annual statistics. It seems there’s a war going on here: Man vs. Monkey; Development vs. Conservation; Money vs. Environmental Care.

08:00 Thursday 15^th January 2009: On her way to work, Mary had seen a car hit another monkey and phoned the Colobus Trust for assistance. Again, it was a young female Sykes monkey which was lying unconscious in the road. We rushed to the scene but in the 5 minutes it took us to arrive, the monkey had regained consciousness and climbed up a tree. Her legs looked damaged and she couldn’t climb properly. Under close surveillance by the rest of her troop, who were very distressed and calling loudly, Peter climbed up the tree after the monkey and caught it. We brought her back to the centre and called a vet who treated her. She was kept under observation overnight.

Fortunately her condition improved immediately after treatment. Even another troop of Sykes (local to the Colobus Trust) heard her and broke into the quarantine cages to investigate! Perhaps they were planning a rescue operation. The next morning we drove back to find her original troop and successfully released her back into the wild. Clearly she had made a 100% recovery from the speed she shot out of the cage. I just hope that we don’t see her in the vet centre again.

These are just two typical stories that occur every week here at the Colobus Trust. Though not all animals make it, it is our duty to help every animal that comes in. All animals are treated with the available resources, even if the outlook doesn’t look good. Medication and vet bills cost a lot of money and any contribution will really help our cause.
The other way you can help is to become a volunteer: even if you only have a week or two to spare you would be helping with a number of on-going projects and making a real difference to the Trust.

Tim Jukes, Colobologist

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

2 responses so far