LOCATION: Monkey Hill, Takoradi, ghana
TARGET SPECIES: Geoffroy’s black and white colobus (Colobus vellosus), the white naped managabey (Cercocebus atys lunulatus), and Lowe’s guenon (Cercopithecus campbelli lowei)
STATUS: ESTABLISHED (SUSTAINED BY LOCAL LEADERS)
Western Ghana has a number of endemic primates that are found only in Ghana and a few nearby countries. These include the olive colobus (Procolobus verus), Geoffroy’s black and white colobus (Colobus vellosus), the Rolaway monkey (Cercopithecus diana rolaway), the white naped managabey (Cercocebus atys lunulatus), the lesser spot nosed guenon (Cercopithicus petaurista petaurista) and Lowe’s guenon (Cercopithecus campbelli lowei). There is some evidence that Miss Waldron’s red colobus (Procolobus badius waldroni) may not be extinct as previously thought. There are also two nocturnal primates that are probably in the forests as well, the potto (Perodicticus potto) and the Demidoff’s bush baby (Galagoides demidoff).
Working with Coastal Resource Center and its partner, Friends of the Nation, Community Conservation’s first project was to visit Monkey Hill and come up with some ideas about helping to turn Monkey Hill, a forest within the city, into a tourist attraction. It has a number of facilities including a hotel and restaurant that are now owned by Vodaphone that has recently taken ownership of some of the area.