Black-and-White Colobus Monkeys

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Black-and-White Colobus Monkeys

Black-and-white colobus live in the higher elevations of central-African forests, from Nigeria and Angola in the west to Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania in the east. These shy Old World monkeys, who typically live in troops of 5 to 10 animals, spend most of their lives high in the forest canopy, leaping from branch to branch in search of the leaves, fruits, and flowers that constitute their diet. In addition to their dramatic black-and-white coats, these heavily built monkeys are distinguished by their lack of thumbs. But while their hands haven’t proved to be a handicap (in fact, this four-fingered configuration permits them to strongly grasp branches and propel themselves along), these bearded, bushy-tailed primates once fell prey to local hunters, who used their fur for ceremonial purposes. These days, however, colobus are instead threatened by the “bushmeat” trade and habitat loss due to humans encroaching on their territory.