Red capped mangabeys
In February 2004 a group of 18 red capped mangabeys (Cercocebus torquatus) were moved from our headquarters in Calabar to a 1 hectare forested enclosure at Rhoko, with over 350 trees from 28 different families. They adapted rapidly to their new forest environment, and bred very well. Now numbering >40 (as of July 2008), behavioural studies have been ongoing since their arrival in the enclosure, which have looked at their adaptation to the forest environment, parasite loads, feeding behaviour, and social behaviour. Although provisioned daily, they also spend much of their time foraging on natural foods, including fruits, insects and leaves. Long term, depending on results of future research, there may be plans to carry out a reintroduction of a subset of these individuals, and current priority research focuses on aspects related to this future reintroduction.

Dominant female 'Odudu' is enjoying the homage of low ranking female 'Banja' (pictured left). Both 'Odudu' and 'Banja' were rescued as orphans, both victims of the bushmeat trade. Both are now part of the original founders of this group of more than 40 - grandmothers, theirs and their daughters' latest offspring born in the forest environment where they belong.
View CERCOPAN's Rhoko mangabeys family tree

Mona Guenons
Twelve mona guenons also make their home at Rhoko, and they are being prepared to be first primates reintroduction in West Africa. Current plans include releasing three social groups into the protected Core Area of Rhoko, where mona monkeys have virtually disappeared from the area, through intensive hunting pressure. With a full ban on hunting all primates in effect in Iko Esai forests, and a well protected (for over 7 years now) and patrolled 'Core Area', this 400 hectare will become their permanent home - the first group of three individuals was released on November 1, 2007. Carefully planned according to the IUCN Reintroduction Guidelines for non-human primates (Baker (Ed.) 2002), a team of 4 research assistants are carefully monitoring these released primates from dawn to dusk, using radio telemetry and collecting detailed information about their ranging, social and feeding behaviour. So far they are doing very well, and gradually expanding their range since their release 4 months ago (read update reports).

'Etimbuk' (pictured above left), the dominant male of one of the three mona groups, is one of 2 captive born monas currently part of this programme, the other 11 all rehabilitated orphans, rescued from the bushmeat and pet trade as infants or juveniles. Nko (pictured below left) was among the first three released in November 2007

Other primates
Apart from rehabilitated primates at Rhoko, there are also resident wild species which are a focus of our research and could be the focus of student research in future. We have conducted an 8 month study of the range of the two resident troops of Cercopithecines in the protected forest - a resident troop of putty nosed guenons (Cercopithecus nictitans) and red eared guenons (Cercopithecus erythrotis). A visiting researcher has conducted a brief survey of nocturnal prosimians, and several species are found in this protected area, including the angwantibo, potto, Allen's galago, and the needle clawed galago. We have also conducted preliminary primate surveys looking at relative abundance in the larger community forest and the Oban Division of the Cross River National Park.