Least Concern Mammals

Black-and-White Colobus

Colobus guereza

The black-and-white colobus is an arboreal East African primate with a flowing white mantle and leaf-rich diet.

Scientific name	Colobus guereza
Swahili name	Mbega mweusi-na-mweupe
Conservation status	Least Concern
Class	Mammalia
Order	Primates
Family	Cercopithecidae
Size	Weight about 5.5-14 kg; head-body length 45-72 cm; tail 52-100 cm

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How to identify

A striking black monkey with a white face frame, long white side mantle and a large white tail tuft. It lacks functional thumbs, an adaptation for fast movement through branches. Usually seen high in the canopy in social groups.

Habitat

Montane, lowland, gallery and riparian forests; forest edges and wooded savanna

Diet

Herbivore / folivore - mainly young leaves, with fruit, flowers, bark and seeds

When it is active

Diurnal and highly arboreal; active during daylight and usually rests or feeds in the canopy.

Where it lives

Widespread in west-central and eastern Africa, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Central African Republic, Gabon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.

How to spot it

Medium sighting likelihood on East African safari routes where riverine or montane forest is included, especially forested areas in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda rather than open grassland-only drives. Look high in the canopy during morning activity and listen for loud male roars.

Photography tips

Use a telephoto lens and watch the upper canopy. Meter for contrast between black fur and white mantle; early morning side light helps preserve detail in the white tail plume.

Threats

Local habitat loss and fragmentation, forest degradation, hunting for bushmeat and skins, and human disturbance, though the species remains widespread and locally common in many protected areas.