Mantled Guereza - Colobus guereza
The Mantled Guereza also known as the Eastern Black-and-White Colobus is an old world monkey. There are seven official subspecies of Mantled Guereza, having a few physical differences. The mantle in its name refers to the long white fur that runs along the flanks of the monkey. The babies are born with an all white coat, as can be seen in the gallery below. The word colobus comes from the Greek word kolobos for curtailed/docked, this is due to the fact that all colobus monkeys have no thumbs.
They are gregarious living in small troops with an alpha male at its head. They are primarily leaf eaters, although they do eat a substantial amount of plant matter, as well as a few arthropods.
In total the Mantled Guereza is listed as ‘Least Concern’ however some subspecies are listed as ‘Endangered’ while others are yet to be fully evaluated. Threats would come from habitat loss, poaching for bushmeat and hunting for their furs which are used in many traditional ceremonies