Kirk's or Zanzibar Red Colobus Monkeys on Zanzibar Island in Tanzania
The Zanzibar (or Kirk's) red colobus (Procolobus kirkii) is a species of red colobus monkey endemic to Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago, off the coast of Tanzania. It is also known as Kirk's red colobus after Sir John Kirk, the British Resident of Zanzibar who first brought it to the attention of zoological science. It is now classified as an endangered species and in the mid-1990s was adopted as the flagship species for conservation in Zanzibar. The population trend is still decreasing, and because this species is only located in the archipelago, conservationists are attempting to work with the local government to devise a proper, effective strategy to protect the population and habitat. The species has been reclassified twice; it was previously in the genus Colobus, and more recently in the genus Procolobus. The Zanzibar red colobus is found in three forests of the Zanzibar archipelago. It displays a wide habit tolerance, but it is mainly an arboreal species and prefers drier areas over wet ones. Its habitats include coastal thickets and coastal rag scrub, but it can also be found in agricultural areas and in mangrove swamps; the latter provides food year-round. The largest and most significant area of protection and habitat for the monkey is in Jozani National Park, which provides 25 km2 ( sq mi) of land reserve.
Size: 5472px × 3648px
Location: Jozani Forest, Zanzibar Island, Tanzania
Photo credit: © Niall Ferguson / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: africa, animal, arboreal, colobus, endangered, forest, jozani, kirk, kirkii, mangrove, monkey, preening, procolobus, red, safari, species, tanzania, trees, zanzibar
