Three Monkeys Nearing Extinction in the Forest Reserves of Eastern Côte D'lvoire

SHORT COMMUNICATIONS Three monkeys nearing extinction in the forest reserves of eastern Cote d'lvoire

Surveys were carried out in forest reserves in cocoa plantations from within reserve bound- eastern Cote d'lvoire in 1997 to investigate aries (Songan, Mabi); (ii) replanting primary the status of three primate taxa believed to be forest trees in logged reserves (Bossemattie, on the verge of extinction. The findings Songan); (iii) creating permanent water holes indicate that Procolobus badius waldroni for elephants (Bossemattie); and (iv) hiring former poachers to undertake regular faunal may be extinct, and that Cercopithecus surveys within the reserves (Bossemattie, diana roloway and Cercocebus atys Mabi). In the course of directing these projects, lunulatus may become so unless urgent the GTZ has collected reliable data on the action is taken. dates and locations each monkey species was last observed. For example, a 4-year long bio- monitoring programme in Bossemattie has yet Many primate taxa are currently threatened to reveal evidence of Procolobus badius waldroni by hunting and loss of habitat. This is es- or Cercocebus atys lunulatus, and Cercopithecus pecially true in West Africa. Prompted by the diana roloway has been heard only once, ap- IUCN/SSC's action plan for African primates proximately 3 years ago. This heavily logged (Oates, 1996), we* conducted a survey in east- reserve now consists of maturing secondary ern Cote d'lvoire from 10 March to 1 May 1997 growth and our surveys confirmed that looking for evidence of three primate taxa be- Bossemattie harbours only those monkey lieved to be verging on extinction (Oates et al., species capable of surviving in degraded for- in press). The monkeys, whose ranges have est (lesser spot-nosed guenon Cercopithecus historically extended into Cote d'lvoire, are petaurista, Campbell's monkey Cercopithecus Cercopithecus diana roloway (Roloway monkey), campbelli and, possibly, white-thighed black- Procolobus badius waldroni (Miss Waldron's red and-white colobus Colobus vellerosus and olive colobus) and Cercocebus atys lunulatus (white- colobus Colobus verus). We learned that the collared mangabey). Satellite image photo- situation in the Songan reserve is even more graphs were studied to identify forest blocks dire; official Cote d'lvoire maps indicate that likely to harbour monkeys and four areas the Songan reserve consists of a relatively were selected for intensive investigation: the large block of high- canopy forest. Vehicle sur- Bossemattie, Mabi, Yaya and Songan forest re- veys quickly revealed that the reserve is serves (Figure 1). heavily degraded with no remaining mature forest throughout. We found no areas of forest To determine methods appropriate for each likely to contain monkeys. survey, we relied heavily on the assistance of Dr Wolf Waitkuwait of the German Following Dr Waitkuwait's advice, we Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit therefore concentrated our survey efforts in (GTZ). Working in close co-operation with the the interior of the least disturbed forest re- Societe de Developpement des Forets (SODE- serves: Mabi and Yaya. These reserves contain FOR), the GTZ co-ordinates a number of am- logged areas and small plantations on their bitious projects designed to strengthen and peripheries, but pristine forest can still be monitor the health of the existing forest re- found in the deeper portions. We spent 4 days serves. These projects include: (i) removing and 3 nights within the Mabi reserve, accom- panied by teams of former poachers employed * The survey team consisted of Michael Abedi- by GTZ/SODEFOR. Starting before dawn, we Lartey (Ghanaian Forestry Department), Isaac Monah (Obrachire Secondary Technical School) and conducted foot surveys along established tran- the author. sects as well as in areas of undisturbed forest,

' 1998 FFI, Oryx, 32 (3), 233-236 233

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GHANA

LIBERIA

* = Abengourou 1 =Bossematie 2 =Songan 3 =Mabi 4 =Yava Figure 1. Location otforets classees surveyed in this study.

listening and looking for signs of primates. No present, but in far fewer numbers. These transects exist within the Yaya reserve and a species were observed only once (Yaya), but bio-monitoring programme has yet to be es- data from the bio-monitoring teams suggest tablished there. We therefore employed local that both species are present in the hunters to guide us through the forest's in- Bossemattie and Mabi reserves (W. terior. We spent 4 days and 3 nights surveying Waitkuwait, unpublished data). Free-ranging the deepest portions of the reserve, being care- Roloway monkeys were encountered only ful to remain undetected by monkeys. To once, in the Yaya reserve. We were offered a cover areas more efficiently and thoroughly, live juvenile Roloway, which was subse- we typically divided our team into three quently confiscated and taken to Ghana's groups with each instructed to walk slowly, Kumasi Zoo. Our only contact with stop frequently and note all signs of primate mangabeys consisted of: (i) a smoked carcass activity (e.g. species sighted, calls, feeding re- offered for sale and (ii) photographs of a mains, etc.). mangabey kept as a pet by a SODEFOR em- Our surveys indicate that Cercopithecus ployee (Figure 2). No evidence of Miss campbelli and Cercopithecus petaurista are the Waldron's red colobus was found in any re- most abundant* monkeys in the remaining serve or in the surrounding villages (e.g. mar- forest of eastern Cote d'lvoire, having been kets, restaurants). sighted and/or heard on numerous occasions Although indigenous organizations such as in all reserves except Songan (see Table 1). the SODEFOR have slowed and/or stopped Colobus vellerosus and Colobus verus are still the destruction of rain forest in Cote d'lvoire, they do not possess the resources necessary to combat the rising levels of hunting. This is es- * Density estimates are not available because our survey methods did not meet the criteria necessary pecially true in forested areas outside the bet- for line transect sampling (Burnham el al., 1980; ter-known national parks, the most notable Skorupa, 1987; McGraw, 1994). being Tai and Comoe. Consequently, the

remaining fauna enjoy little protection and poaching is rampant (e.g. Caspary, 1994); during a single 2-hour period within the Yaya reserve, we collected 31 spent shotgun shells, found six animal snares and discovered two well established poachers' camps. We heard gunshots in all reserves. For example, during the evening of 21 March as our team listened for monkeys in the Bossematie reserve, we recorded the field notes listed below: • 18.18 hours: long call of Cercopithecus campbelli heard (direction: 218°) • 18.20 hours: shotgun heard (direction 218°) • 18.50 hours: neighbouring . groups of Cercopithecus campbelli and C. petaurista heard in long call duet (group 1 direction: 173°, group 2 direction: 179°) • 19.02 hours: shotgun heard (direction: 172°) • 19.29 hours: shotgun heard (direction: 173°) Figure 2. A white-collared mangabey Cercocebus To prevent the remaining primates in east- atys lunulatus being kept as a pet in a Cote d'lvoire village. The man in the photograph claimed to have ern Cote d'lvoire from being eliminated, regu- confiscated this monkey from poachers when it was lar, systematic antipoaching patrols must be an infant. Approximately 2 months after this established immediately. The most effective photograph was taken, the monkey was killed and means of achieving this goal would be to ele- eaten after it bit the man badly. The subspecies is vate the status of the most primate-rich forests severely threatened in Ghana and eastern Cote (e.g. Mabi/Yaya) from foret classie (forest re- d'lvoire and no evidence of this monkey was found serve) to national park. Doing so would, in the wild. The quality of this photograph is poor (the print was obtained from the monkey's owner) among other things, ensure the presence (or at but, apart from a smoked carcass, it is the only least the threat of presence) of armed person- evidence collected during the survey that this nel to monitor poaching activity. subspecies still exists in Cote d'lvoire.

Table 1. Summary of monkey surveys in the Forets Classees in eastern Cote d'lvoire

Size Survey Forest Species Species Reserve (ha) duration quality confirmed suspected

Bossemattie 18,000 Parts of 6 days Maturing secondary Cercopithecus petaurista Colobus vellerosus including forest Cercopithecus campbelli Colobus verus 2 nights Mabi 51,000 4 days and Moderately degraded Cercopithecus petaurista Colobus vellerosus 3 nights with areas of good Cercopithecus campbelli Colobus verus forest in interior Songan 35,000 Vehicle Heavily degraded 7 7 surveys 1 day little remaining forest Yaya 22,000 4 days and Moderately degraded Cercopithecus petaurisata 3 nights with areas of good Cercopithecus campbelli forest in interior Cercopithecus diana Colobus vellerosus Colobus verus

NB. The area of forest within each reserve is considerably smaller than the size of the reserve . The number of hectares given for each reserve merely constitutes the area within the official borders of the foret dassee.

At this point, the main obstacle to upgrad- Forets (SODEFOR) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft ing the reserves to national parks appears to fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), under the be a general lack of interest in this area (Oates, direction of Dr Wolf E. Waitkuwait, proved invalu- able during all aspects of the survey. John Oates and 1996). This is unfortunate because the Cote two anonymous reviewers greatly improved this d'lvoire government has the financial means manuscript. necessary to initiate the transitional process. Further, much of the infrastructure needed to implement the transition (e.g. the GTZ/SODE- References FOR co-operative) is already in place. Burnham, K.P., Anderson, D.R. and Laake, J.L. 1980. International pressure from conservation or- Estimation of density from line transect sampling ganizations would, no doubt, increase our of biological populations. Wildlife Monographs No. awareness of this region's biological impor- 72. The Wildlife Society, Washington DC. tance. Caspary, H.U. 1994. he braconnage dans la Foret Classee de Mabi, Cote d'lvoire. Diploma, Institute of Readers of Oryx are regularly alerted to the Geography, Humboldt University of Berlin. continued decline of primate populations and McGraw, W.S. 1994. Census, habitat preference and to their dwindling habitat. This survey's re- polyspecific associations of six monkeys in the sults are, potentially, even more disturbing. Lomako Forest, Zaire. American Journal of Continuing surveys in Ghana have not so far Primatology, 34, 295-307. located any surviving populations of Miss Oates, J.F. 1996. African Primates: Status Survey and Waldron's red colobus (J. Oates, personal Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and communication). That this monkey was also Cambridge, UK. not found in our Cote d'lvoire surveys Oates, J.F., Struhsaker, T.T. and Whitesides, G.H. In suggests that the taxon may now be extinct. press. Extinction faces Ghana's red colobus Without immediate action, the remaining pri- monkey and other locally endemic subspecies. mates in eastern Cote d'lvoire await a similar Primate Conservation. fate. Skorupa, J. 1987. Do line-transect surveys systemati- cally underestimate primate densities in logged forests? American Journal of Primatology, 13,1-9. Acknowledgemen ts W. Scoff McGraw Funding was provided by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Conservation International, Department of Anatomy Primate Conservation Incorporated, Wildlife New York College of Osteopathic Medicine Conservation International and The Chicago Old Westbury, New York 11568, USA Zoological Society. I thank the Ministere E-mail: [email protected] d'Enseignement Superieur et Recherche Scientifique and the directorate of the Institut d'Ecologie Tropicale for permission to carry out field work. The Received 8 September 1997 assistance of the Societe de Developpement des Accepted 25 March 1998