New Endangered Monkey Species Discovered In Tofala Forest

A team of researchers working for ERuDeF have spotted another rare wildlife species the Preuss's Monkey (Cercopithecus preussi) in the Tofala forest, Lebialem Highlands, South West. This was on August 18 during a bio-montoring of great apes trip with two volunteers; Christopher and Claire from the UK and France, respectively. 
The Preuss's Monkey is a white-furred moustached monkey and it was spotted at 10:30 a.m while it was feeding in the forest. 
Preuss's Monkey, also known as Preuss's Guenon, is a diurnal primate that lives terrestrially in mountainous forests up to 2,500 metres of eastern Nigeria, western Cameroon and Bioko in Equatorial Guinea. It has cheek pouches to carry food in while it forages.  
This species’ population size and distribution have been severely affected by habitat destruction and hunting. For example, Cameroon’s forests have been severely degraded by cultivation, fire and collection of wood for fuel. As a result, little montane forest remains in the mainland part of this species’ range. 
Preuss's Monkey is also highly susceptible to human predation because it is semi-terrestrial and relatively large-bodied, and hunting has led to a decline in its population across its range. The species is listed as endangered as it is believed to have undergone a decline exceeding 50% over the past 27 years across its restricted range, mainly as a result of increasing habitat loss in the Nigeria/Cameroon highlands and also from hunting. 
Recognized as the most endangered guenon in the Limbe Wildlife Centre, the Preuss’s Monkey was formally known to occur in the Okwangwo Division of Cross River National Park and on the adjacent Obudu Plateau (Nigeria), Pico Basile National Park and the Southern Highlands Scientific Reserve (Bioko), and in the Takamanda Forest Reserve, Ibo Forest, and Banyang-Mbo Forest (Cameroon) which has been proposed for elevated protection status. 
Surveys of the status and distribution across its range are needed. None of the montane forest areas of the Cameroon highlands, the most important remaining habitat for this species of which Tofala is now part, are formally protected and requires therefore urgent conservation action.