ZANZIBAR'S RARE MONKEYS POPULAR AMONG TOURISTS

By RODRIQUE NGOWI, Associated Press


A group of rare Zanzibar red colobus monkeys crashed recklessly through the trees, squealing as they pulled at each others' tails and raced across tree limbs that swayed precariously under their weight in the tropical island's only national park.


Nearby, a pair of the endangered primates — which are found only in Zanzibar — groomed each other as another stretched lazily on a tree branch, its feet dangling down so low that they almost touched my head as I walked on a narrow path in the tropical Jozani Forest.

It was my first encounter with the flagship species of Zanzibar wildlife conservation, named "Procolobus kirkii" after Sir John Kirk, the British explorer and naturalist who first brought it to the attention of zoologists. The leaf-eating primates with a dark red to black coat, a paler underside and distinctive pink lips and nose are popular among tourists flocking to this exotic island.

The inquisitive monkeys with wayward hair complement the experience of this Indian Ocean archipelago, which is better known for its exhilarating scuba diving and spectacular snorkeling; the narrow, winding, cobbled alleyways characterizing its ancient capital of Stone Town; as well as an exotic history that includes being the site of the shortest war on record.

There are no firm estimates on the number of red colobus monkeys surviving in the wild. Various accounts indicate that hunting, deforestation and poisoning by farmers looking to protect their crops has cut down their numbers to between 1,500 and 3,000 in three forests.

During my visit to their lush forest in central Zanzibar, I could see that the species is a remarkably social animal. They live in groups of 30 to 50 individuals who play and groom while resting between meals. Males are said to maintain close bonds that enable them to act together to defend their group.

But the monkeys I saw were clearly used to human contact, practically ignoring curious American, European and African tourists who were going "Ooh!" and "Aah!" in awe as they got so close to the animals that they might have as well have been their long-lost cousins