IUCN Conservation Status –
Least Concern
Extinct In The Wild
Class: Mammals
Order: Primates
Family: Cercopithecidae
You can spot our king colobus monkeys, Ivy and Lola, at their home in Monkey Heights.
These eye-catching primates, also known as western black and white colobus, are native to mountains and lowland forests in a small range of western Africa, from The Gambia to Ivory Coast.
King colobus monkeys are herbivores, enjoying a diet of leaves, flowers and fruit.
Interesting facts!
- These monkeys have a very long, unmissable white tail, which acts as extra support when they are leaping from tree to tree.
- King colobus are social primates and are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day and sleep at night!
- When infants are born they have totally white fur. This darkens with age to the mature black colouration, apart from the tail and some facial features.
Conservation
Habitat destruction and hunting for bushmeat has reduced the wild population of king colobus and they are now classed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.