Background

The ursine colobus (Colobus vellerosus, white-thighed colobus, Geoffroy's black-and-white colobus) is a primate listed as Critically Endangered on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species since 2020 (last update). According to IUCN (2020), the number of mature individuals is 975 with a decreasing population. Benin is one of the 4 countries where a certain occurrence can still be confirmed; They have several functions in ecology including helping to disperse the seeds of forest trees that they eat. Despite the fragility of the populations they are still threatened by hunting and habitat destruction (logging & wood harvesting). Because of the status of this species and its ecological functions in the food chain and the biodiversity, actions should be taken to protect the rest of the individuals.

Objectives

Contribute to the protection and conservation of the critically endangered White-thighed Colobus (Colobus vellerosus) in Benin.

Two Members of the NGO CAPES with the President of the Kikilé forest management committee on the far right, one of the Ecogarde just to his right and the Water, Forests and Hunting officer in Kikélé on the left

Formal ban on all human activity in the Kikélé forest