The
following is a guest post featuring the work of a student
enrolled in SA 202: Introduction to Anthropology. This exceptional work highlights the
importance of primate conservation. I hope you find this piece informative and
are inspired to make a positive change in the world that will help this
and other endangered primates.
By: Tyler Roe
 |
Roloway Monkey (copyright: Alex Sliwa)
|
The
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed a total of
142,577 species. Of those assessed, there are more than 40,000 (28%) listed as
threatened with extinction. Of the mammals assessed, 26% are characterized as
threatened. One such mammal listed is the Roloway monkey (Cercopithecus
roloway), an African monkey currently listed by the IUCN as Critically
Endangered (“IUCN Red List of Threatened Species”). As humans, we have a duty
to preserve the planet, which includes maintaining and reestablishing Roloway
monkey populations.
Roloway monkeys can be found in West
Africa. These monkeys typically live in groups of six to 22 members within
mature forests, especially mangrove trees. Groups typically have one dominant
male with several females and their offspring. They are larger monkeys that
possess a dark grey body with a crimson lower back, a beige-colored chest, and
grey to black face (Johnson, 2015). The lifespan of the Roloway monkey is
unknown, but the oldest in captivity lived for 31 years (Napier and Napier,
1967). They are considered omnivores with a diet consisting mostly of insects
but also fruits and leaves.
Several factors, either directly or
indirectly, have led to the endangerment of this species. Two of the most influential
factors are hunting and habitat destruction (Wiafe, 2014). While these monkeys
are hunted for bushmeat, which is a vital source of protein and crucial to many
residents’ income, this practice is not sustainable as most large mammal
species that are hunted are already at dangerously low populations (Ampadu-Agyei and Adomako, 2002). Deforestation in this region is
also affecting the Roloway monkeys’ populations. It has been due to the
increase in “clear cutting of mature rainforest for the cultivation of cocoa,
rubber, and palm oil” (Osei, Horwich, and Pittman, 2015:25).
In
order to prevent the extinction of this species, both factors must be
addressed. To combat the decrease in population due to hunting for bushmeat the
Conservation International- Ghana’s Program (CI-Ghana) has launched a campaign
to raise public awareness nationally. This has allowed older wildlife laws to
come under review (Ampadu-Agyei
and Adomako, 2002). In
order to reduce further deforestation and its effects on the primate
population, Ghanian law could be used to grant the Kwabre Rainforest protected
area status. This would allow the Kwabre Rainforest, the Ankasa Conservation
Area in Ghana, and Tanoé Forest in Cote d’Ivoire to be managed under an integrated
conservation plan (Danquah and Tetteh, 2016).
Preservation
of this species is important to the ecosystem that they inhabit. As omnivores
whose diet consists mostly of insects, Roloway monkeys are able to help control
invertebrate populations within the forests that they live. By eating fruit,
Roloway monkeys play a key role in the dispersion of fruit seeds (Lussier,
2021). Without these particular monkeys, many aspects of the ecosystem in which
they live could go unchecked leading to detrimental disruptions in that
ecosystem.
While
there are numerous species listed on the IUCN’s endangered species list,
mammals particularly primates, such as the Roloway monkey, are especially
important. Primates are the closest animal group to humans. They serve countless
roles within the ecosystems that they live. Through the study of primates,
particularly those that live in groups, researchers are able to learn more
about basic and naturalistic human interaction. It is crucial for diminished
primate populations to be preserved and then reestablished. This can be done
through campaigns to bring awareness to hunting and deforestation as well as
review old wildlife laws and create new ones that preserve those populations (Ampadu-Agyei and Adomako, 2002).
In
conclusion, the Roloway monkey serves an integral part of their ecosystems. Due
to deforestation and hunting for bushmeat, the populations have declined resulting
in the Roloway monkey being listed as Critically Endangered on IUCN’s Red List.
By protecting their rainforest with conservation laws, we can increase their
population. This would help preserve the species long-term and allowing the
Roloway monkey to continue to contribute to its ecosystem.
References
Ampadu-Agyei, O., & Adomako, E. (2002).
Bushmeat utilisation, human livelihoods and conservation of large mammals in
west Africa2. Links between
Biodiversity Conservation, Livelihoods and Food Security: The sustainable use
of wild species for meat, 45.
Danquah, E., & Tetteh, E. H. (2016).
Logging activity adversely impacts primate diversity and density in the Kwabre
Rainforest of Ghana. International Journal
of Ecology, 2016.
The
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN
Red List of Threatened Species. (2021). Retrieved February 25, 2022, from
https://www.iucnredlist.org/
Johnson,
K. (2015.). Cercopithecus
Roloway (Roloway Monkey). Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved February 25,
2022, from
https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Cercopithecus_roloway/#7975F311-7339-11E4-826A-002500F14F28
Lussier,
Z. (2021, June). Roloway
Monkey. New England Primate Conservancy. Retrieved February 25, 2022, from
https://www.neprimateconservancy.org/roloway-monkey.html
Napier,
J. R., & Napier, P. H. (1967). A
Handbook of Living Primates: Morphology, ecology and behaviour of nonhuman
primates. Academic Press.
Osei, D., Horwich, R. H., & Pittman, J. M.
(2015). First sightings of the Roloway Monkey (Cercopithecus diana roloway) in
Ghana in ten years and the status of other endangered primates in Southwestern
Ghana. African Primates, 10, 25-40.
Wiafe, E. D. (2013). Status of the critically
endangered roloway monkey (Cercopithecus diana roloway) in Dadieso Forest
Reserve, Ghana. African Primates, 8, 9-16.
