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Relative abundance and distribution of black-and-white colobus monkey (Colobus guereza guereza) in northwestern Ethiopia

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Abstract

Forest loss, fragmentation, and degradation are major threats to primates. In areas that have been heavily deforested, it is critical to identify the distribution and abundance of remaining primate populations to inform conservation actions. The Ethiopian Highlands have lost most of its original forest cover and the remains are highly fragmented. The black-and-white colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza guereza) are a subspecies of the Colobus guereza endemic to Ethiopia. Their restricted distribution in fragmented forest habitats along with further habitat loss renders them vulnerable to local extirpation. To date, the population size and distribution of black-and-white colobus monkeys are unknown along the Ethiopian Highlands. Therefore, we aimed to determine the relative abundance of black-and-white colobus monkeys and their distribution pattern in northwestern Ethiopia. We conducted population surveys using line transects between Oct 2020 and Sep 2021 in 27 forest patches that ranged between 1859 and 2557 m asl in elevation (mean = 2164.9, SD = 178.6). We recorded 328 groups of black-and-white colobus monkeys, and they were observed in all 27 forest patches. We counted a total of 2897 individuals ranging from 5 to 16 individuals per group (mean = 8.8, SD = 2.5) within the sampling transects. Overall, the sighting encounter frequency of this monkey was 5.5 groups/km, while the relative mean population abundance was 48.2 individuals/km. Our study offers the first baseline information for future absolute abundance and population density estimates of black-and-white colobus monkeys and the forest patches they inhabit in northwestern Ethiopia. The establishment of protected areas, improved law enforcement, population monitoring, and engagement with adjacent local communities are imperative to secure the long-term survival and conservation of black-and-white colobus monkeys and their habitats in the region. In addition, conservation measures like educational awareness programs, modern beekeeping, and alternative biofuel use should be initiated to stop further deforestation.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Rufford Small Grant Foundation and the Primate Conservation Incorporated for their financial support. We think Bahir Dar University for its logistic support. We thank the Amhara National Regional State Environment, Forest, Wildlife Protection and Development Authority, and the Awi Zone officials for providing permission to carry out this research in the region. We also thank all field assistants and local scouts who engaged in this research project. Finally, we want to acknowledge the Associate Editor, Thomas Jung, and an anonymous reviewer for their many helpful and constructive comments that improved this manuscript.

Funding

The author(s) disclosed receipt of financial support for the research project. This research was funded by the Rufford Small Grant Foundation and the Primate Conservation Incorporated.

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  1. Biology of Department, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

    Zewdu Kifle

  2. Department of Zoological Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Afework Bekele

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ZK: data curation, formal analysis, funding acquisition, methodology, project administration, writing–original draft, writing–review, editing. AB: data curation, support funding acquisition, support investigation, methodology, writing–review, editing.

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Kifle, Z., Bekele, A. Relative abundance and distribution of black-and-white colobus monkey (Colobus guereza guereza) in northwestern Ethiopia. Eur J Wildl Res 69, 108 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-023-01739-2

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