Golden monkeys

Golden monkeys (or Cercopithecus kandti) are a species of Old World monkey found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, which includes four national parks: Mgahinga in south-west Uganda, Volcanoes in north-west Rwanda, and Virunga and Kahuzi-Biéga in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Its habitat is restricted to highland forest.

Golden Monkeys live in social groups of up to 30 individuals, with a diet consisting mainly of bamboo, leaves and fruit, though it is also thought that they eat insects. This explains why the golden monkey prefers a habitat that is abundant with fruit and bamboo, moving in between areas depending on the season. During the season where ripe fruit is available, they remain in those areas. With the beginning of the rainy season, however, bamboo starts shooting so the Golden Monkeys move to these habitats. Results of studies indicate that if there is an area consisting of mixed fruit and bamboo, the golden monkeys tend to frequent that area more than areas consisting of only bamboo, but, as such areas are rare, Golden Monkeys are most frequently seen in bamboo forests.

The gradual destruction of their habitat, a consequence of tree extraction and bamboo removal, is a serious threat that has progressively reduced their numbers, and the last few hundred Golden Monkeys are now on the IUCN Red List.