A couple of red-bellied monkey grooming on Ceiba pentandra tree in the forest.

The red-bellied monkey is endemic to the Dahomey Gap where the intensification of habitat-degrading activities over recent decades has left remnant populations in a completely fragmented landscape. Although the Lama classified forest has been targeted as the largest forest island occupied by red-bellied monkey, little conservation effort has been implemented.

The project will compile baseline data, current status in the field such as distribution, threat status, interactions with humans, resources shared with humans, and the community’s general perception of red-bellied monkey and conservation. This information will help develop a strong outreach program to aid the community and local stakeholders in understanding the importance of conservation of red-bellied monkey and its habitat. The data will help establishing conservation policies and conservation initiative wholly managed and monitored by the local stakeholders. The project also aims to deliver at least two popular and scientific articles and publish the outcomes in both local and international scientific journals. The proposed work will create awareness about the value of the Lama Classified Forest and the need to conserve it and its wildlife. The local schools in the Lama Classified Forest area will be visited and conservation education classes developed to focus students on future conservation activities for safeguarding the vulnerable red-bellied monkey and its habitat. Conservation experiences will also be shared with teachers and community members through discussion meetings and workshops. Some training sessions will be provided to local youngsters and forest staffs on primate population census methods.

The project will attempt to build a strong network for primate research and conservation through individuals who are interested in primates, especially the red-bellied monkey. In due course, an informative Facebook group will be created and maintained to increase communication within the target audience. Printed materials describing the importance of the red-bellied monkey will be developed and distributed within the local communities at the implementation site.