RED COLOBUS -
ENVIRONMENT
News: Red Colobus: Conserving these
Old World primates could help save Africa’s tropical forests, says study
What's in the news?
●
A recent study conducted by an international team
of scientists has suggested that conserving red colobus monkeys could play a crucial role in safeguarding tropical
forests.
Red Colobus:
●
Red colobus monkeys, a rare and endangered group of primates found across Africa, serve as important indicators
of biodiversity.
●
They belong to one of the two major simian groups
globally, with colobines primarily being leaf-eaters, distinguishing them from
the omnivorous cercopithecines.
●
In addition to Africa's red colobus monkeys,
colobines also include langurs found in South
and Southeast Asia.
Distribution:
●
Red colobus monkeys are distributed across forests
from Senegal to the Zanzibar Archipelago, encompassing diverse habitats.
Threats:
●
Most red colobus populations face extinction due to
threats such as hunting for trade and local subsistence, as well as habitat
loss, degradation, and fragmentation caused by various human activities.
Initiative to Conserve
Red Colobus:
●
The Red
Colobus Conservation Action Plan, spearheaded by the International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Species Survival Commission Primate Specialist Group and the African
Primatological Society, aims to prioritize red colobus conservation efforts.
●
The action plan seeks to secure Africa's tropical
forests and mitigate unsustainable hunting for wild meat.
Conservation Efforts:
●
A Red
Colobus Working Group (RCWG) has been established to oversee the
implementation of the action plan.
● Additionally, a Red Colobus Conservation Network (RCCN) has been formed to facilitate communication, capacity-building, and monitoring of red colobus conservation initiatives.