Archive for the ‘Colobus’ Category
Since August of this year GVI has been supporting Kenya Wildlife Service and the Colobus Trust to carry out the first national census of the Angolan Black and White Colobus since 2001. Having already completed the census in Shimoni’s forests, we have spent the last few weeks at Gonja Forest Reserve, between the border posts of Kenya and Tanzania. Our Terrestrial Officer, Emma, returned today after finishing off the last of the transects with our team of expedition members. For me playing a key role in the census has been one of the most valuable contributions we have made to the conservation of this amazing animal. Emma, our Terrestrial Science Officer, tells us the news from Gonja… Above: The research team for Gonja Forest Reserve, Emma is second from the right in the top row “After two weeks and twenty two transects, Gonja provided us with just 13 Colobus sightings from 5 troops, two of which were just solitary males. In 2001, the census recorded 24 colobus, which indicates a worrying decline in the population for an area of forest that is under formal protection. Above: The red legged running frog, Kassina maculata, a wonderful find in Gonja But there were some excicitng findings too… we found two new species of frogs that we haven’t recorded before one of which was the beautiful Kassina maculata, or red legged running frog, the second species in this genus that we have found. We also had a visit from a shrew, a Crocidura spp, which was very cute! Unfortunately with over 100 species described that all look very similar, we are unable to identiy which species it is without taking a specimen for identification by experts. Finally our time crawling through Gonja forest also gave us some smaller adventures… the bee nests and army ant attacks were not the fondest of memories but we saw some very very cool spiders!”
Above: The shrew we found, Crocidura sp
Above: One of the spiders that make the coastal forests such an exicting place of discovery
GVI’s research team headed back in to Shimoni Forest today, to survey the primates along our Transect 1, which runs parallel within 100m of the coastline - the area of forest at most risk of development. We survey Shimoni East forest on a regular basis to keep track of the presence of the Colobus, including ‘Burundi’ troop who have shown remarkable resilience in maintaining their home range over the last two years in the face of the felling of trees in a plot of land being cleared for development at the beginning of Transect 1. So it was good to hear that Burundi troop were still present with two adult males, three adult females and the sub-adult that we had first recorded as a juvenile three months ago. The team recorded two further troops within 500m along the transect, with the excitng news that one small group of an adult male with two adult females also had an infant present - clearly identifiable as being within 3 months of age by its all-white fur colouration. From 3 months their fur becomes grey with the characteristic black and white pelt colouration showing up after 6 months. The third group, observed in an area where we have often seen an unusual troop of predominantly adult males, contained 3 males, 3 adult females and another sub-adult. However the exciting news from the field today was the presence of an African Fish Eagle nest on the transect… the adult eagles were seen and the chicks heard calling in the trees above although the team couldn’t quite see where the nest was today! We will be keeping our eyes and ears open in future to see how they fare. The African Fish Eagle is a beautiful raptor and, for me, its haunting cries are one of the most evocative sounds of my time in East Africa. Fortunately the team weren’t looking up in to the trees the whole time or they would have missed the hinged tortoise along the transect. We are still uncertain of which species we find here in Shimoni, with the both Bell’s and Speke’s Hinged Tortoises potentially in the area, and to confuse matters more, they may also have the potential to interbreed!
Kenya may be most famous for its incredible big game and open savanna, but its coastal forests, although small, are no less significant for wildlife conservation. The Eastern Africa Coastal Forests Ecoregion is in fact the smallest of 25 Global Biodiversity Hotspots but contains the highest density of endemic plant and vertebrate animal species.
Above: one of the Colobus monkeys spotted during Friday’s survey After two years, it is still a great privilege for me to know that a short walk from my office could bring the opportunity to watch the beautiful Angolan Black and White Colobus monkeys in the canopy above me, or a glimpse of the wonderful Zanj Elephant Shrew darting through the leaf litter. Sadly it is also never far from my mind that any loss of coastal forest brings these creatures a step closer to extinction.
Above: Chainsaws are often heard in Shimoni Forest, this tree was recently cut on Transect 6 That’s why the sudden appearance of charcoal burning pits in Shimoni forest over the last few months has caused alarm amongst our research team and many of our friends in the community. Last Friday, GVI’s research team returned to survey Transect 6, our furthest away, only to return with the sad news that in the intervening few months, 5 charcoal burning pits have sprung up along a 500m stretch.
The illegal felling of these trees to slowly burn them in large earth ovens to produce charcoal not only scars the ground but leaves gaping holes in the canopy where troops of Colobus should be travelling, feeding or simply resting.
Above: Charcoal being packed up along Transect 6 Having recently estimated from our research that 5% of the forest we survey has been lost in just one year to clear felling of land, either for agriculture or development, this has added to a sense of urgency in bringing the local communities and private landowners together in finding solutions to the challenge of safeguarding the forest that remains.
I first arrived in Shimoni, a remarkable coastal community tucked away in southern Kenya close to the border with Tanzania, in November 2005, to set up GVI’s wildlife research and community development expedition. Since the beginning of 2006 we have been working closely with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the local villagers to integrate scientific research in to conservation managament of the incredible natural ecosystems found here whilst supporting sustainable development amongst the local communities.
Our marine research programme aims to provide the first long term data on dolphin populations in Kenya, looking for answers to the most basic questions such as which species we have, how many individuals are there, and how are they using the marine habitats. Working in and around the Kisite Mpunguti Marine Protected Area, home to some of Kenya’s most stunning coral reefs, we are also assisting local partners such as Kenya Sea Turtle Conservation Committee to understand more about the endangered sea turtles here.
On dry land, we are undertaking surveys in Shimoni’s globally important but increasingly threatened coastal forest, to assess it’s importance for biodiversity conservation and monitor the nationally important population of the beautiful and charismatic Angolan Black and White Colobus.
With our research base in the remote, traditional community of Mkwiro, at the eastern end of Wasini Island, we have been supporting KWS in community development initiatives, delivering education to both school children and dedicated adult classes, helping the orphanage, and working with community groups to develop sustainable ways of generating alternative incomes. |
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