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Meet Whitecap, a young male Angolan black and white colobus monkey. Whitecap came to Colobus Conservation, a primate conservation organization based in Diani, Kenya, early November 2015. He was a victim of electrocution on exposed electricity cables, a common cause of primate mortality in the area. However, Whitecap’s story does not start here. Colobus Conservation were first made aware of him a few weeks before this after receiving a call from concerned residents of a young colobus crying at night. Staff went out to investigate and it became apparent that Whitecap had lost his mother and the adult male of the group to electrocutions. It was evident that this young male had a strong character as he managed to keep up with his small troop for several weeks in spite of his losses. However, his crying was a warning sign that he was struggling. Colobus Conservation continued to keep a close eye on his situation, but because he stayed high in the canopy little could be done. The staff crossed their fingers that he would adjust without the support of his mother.
Whitecap had captured local residents’ hearts and late one Friday night, reports came flooding in that little Whitecap had been attacked by dogs. Colobus Conservation arrived at the scene, it was evident that his left arm was damaged but he remained high in the trees and capturing him for medical care was not possible. It was four days later when Colobus Conservation finally found him, alone, on the ground, too weak to climb, eat or drink. The smell of an infection from his arm was overwhelming; he was in dire need of medical attention.
Once back at the centre team Colobus began working to save his life, his arm was swollen, badly infected, on further inspection it became obvious that the reported dog attack was actually an electrocution injury. Whitecap was incredibly weak and the team feared that he would not survive the operation which he desperately needed. The team weighed Whitecaps options and the choice to operate was decided, the arm was past treating, so his arm needed to be amputated. |
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The next few weeks were touch and go. Whitecap needed 24 hour care, but as each day passed, it became evident that Whitecap was not an ordinary monkey. He showed that he was strong, determined and independent. It has now been three months since Whitecap joined Colobus Conservation. He is now living with four other colobus and you would not even notice he was at a disadvantage with only having one arm as he climbs around the enclosure, play fights with his companions and even ‘tells off’ the adult females when they take his food. He really is a small miracle and his future looks bright.
However, Whitecap and his companions urgently need a larger enclosure. Cases, such as Whitecaps are not uncommon and our small troop of colobus has almost tripled in size in the last seven months. With three young colobus growing stronger and larger each day, they need their space. As with all the monkeys in rehabilitation, Colobus Conservation is looking to release the group. A larger enclosure will help facilitate their release, giving them the chance to practice their climbing skills. Colobus Conservation is a small centre and funding is always a struggle; we want to give the monkeys the care they deserve, please help us by donating money towards a larger enclosure.
Thank you!
Team Colobus |
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