Primates in Kenya : People all across the world are fascinated by primates’ comical antics and endearing social interactions. Kenya Safaris is pleased to provide visitors with an educational and enthralling tour of Kenya’s primate habitats. Chimpanzees and silverback mountain gorillas come to mind when our clients picture a primate safari in Africa.
Although these beloved animals are not native to Kenya, we can nonetheless provide you a close-up encounter with rescued chimpanzees. To provide abused and orphaned chimpanzees with a safe haven, Ol Pejeta Conservancy in southern Laikipia collaborates closely with The Jane Goodall Institute and Kenya Wildlife Service. Since 1993, the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary has worked to improve these animals’ wellbeing and standard of living.
The two sizable chimpanzee populations that are now housed in the sanctuary are separated by the Ewaso Nyiro River. Gombe Stream National Park and Mahale Mountains National Park on Lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania are recommended for a genuine safari to view wild chimpanzees in their native habitat. The red colobus and mangabey monkeys are two additional endangered primate species that have found sanctuary in Kenya. Its mangabeys are easily distinguished by their white eyelids, which contrast with their deeper grey-black faces and lighter colours of yellow-brown and whitish-grey on their backs and chests.
The rusty-orange, black, and white coloured coat of Kenya’s red colobus monkeys is striking. You might see the monkeys feeding, grooming, mating, and engaging in other social behaviours while on your primate tour in Kenya. The Tana River Primate Reserve is the only place to visit these two extraordinary primate species.
We advise you to allot sufficient travel time to Kakamega Forest during your East African jungle trip in order to encounter a larger range of primates. The forest provides the backdrop for observing primates interact and engage because of its vast range of trees, wild orchids, flowers, and other plants. White-nosed monkeys, olive baboons, de Brazza’s monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and potto are among the seven species found in the forest. Additionally, you might run into academics from Columbia University. To learn more about the social and reproductive behaviours of the forest residents, the university has studied them since 1979.
Other parts of Kenya, such as Tsavo East, Tsavo West, and Amboseli in the south, are home to olive baboons and some of their close cousins. Most of the country is home to vervet monkeys. You may go to Aberdare and Mount Kenya to observe Sykes’, vervet, and black-and-white colobus monkeys (guerezas). The Nairobi Park and South Coast Mombasa coastal woodlands are also home to Sykes monkeys.
Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Lake Elementaita, Shimba Hills, and Jadini Forest near Diani are other habitats for black and white colobus. You wouldn’t believe how many different species of galagos, pousargues’s monkeys, tantalus monkeys, and guerezas are just a few of the primates you can see in Kenya while on a Kenya wildlife safari.
VERVET MONKEY
An Old World monkey with its origins in Africa is the vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus). Every member of the genus Chlorocebus is referred to as “vervet” in this context. These cute monkeys communicate and give alarm cries in social groups where they reside. These calls are used to identify family members, alert other members of the group, and warn off potential predators
Appearance
An Old World monkey with its origins in Africa is the vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus). Every member of the genus Chlorocebus is referred to as “vervet” in this context. These cute monkeys communicate and give alarm cries in social groups where they reside. These calls are used to identify family members, alert other members of the group, and warn off potential predators.
OLIVE BABOON
The olive baboon, commonly known as the Anubis baboon or Papio anubis, belongs to the Cercopithecidae family of Old World monkeys. The species, which is native to 25 nations in Africa running from the east coast of Mali to Tanzania and Ethiopia, has the greatest geographic range of any baboon species. There are also isolated populations in some of the Sahara’s hilly areas. It lives in woodlands, steppes, and savannahs. The animal’s popular name is derived from the hue of its coat, which is a distant shade of green-grey. A complex social structure is made possible through a variety of vocal and nonverbal exchanges.
Appearance
The Olive baboon is a sizable primate with strong limbs. With their long, pointed muzzles and the way they walk, they resemble dogs in appearance. Their tails are extremely lengthy. Their gait resembles a horse galloping. Their canine teeth are long and sharp, and their japws are exceedingly strong. Their brow ridge is prominent, and their eyes are close together. Large ears that are concealed by their dense fur are present. Around their cheeks, adult males have a thick, grey hairy ruff. Olive baboons may store food in their cheek pouches as they forage. Young baboons lack thick facial fur and are darker, almost black.
SENEGAL BUSHBABY
A small, nocturnal monkey belonging to the Galagidae family, the Senegal bush baby (Galago senegalensis) is also known as the Senegal galago, the lesser galago, or the lesser bush baby.
The term “bush baby” may refer to the animals’ screams or to how they look. They can leap with agility and move quickly along branches. They reside in Zanzibar and adjacent islands in Africa south of the Sahara. They typically reside in savannah and dry woodland areas. They are diminutive primates that weigh between 95 to 300 grammes and have thick, woolly fur that ranges in colour from silvery grey to dark brown. They have long tails that aid in balance, huge eyes that provide good night vision, and strong rear limbs.
Appearance
A Senegal bush baby, sometimes known as a galago, has a long bushy tail, enormous eyes that resemble saucers, and an unusual, peculiar, loud cry. This tiny ape has thick, silvery-brown fur and a generally attractive appearance. It can track insects in the dark thanks to its small, bat-like ears and huge, spherical eyes, which have excellent night vision. It protects its ears by folding them flat against its head when jumping over dense vegetation or thorny bushes, and it also folds its ears when it is at rest.
