Mangabey

Animal Essentials

Scientific Name:

Cercocebus atys lunulatus

Park Location:

Lost Kingdom

Origin:

Africa

Habitat:

Tropical Rainforest

Amazing Facts

As with all mangabey species they have white eyelids which they use to communicate by blinking at each other!

These beautiful creatures can live for up to thirty years.

The cry of the male mangabey, a sort of “whoop-gobble”, sounds just like a turkey with a frog in its throat!

The White-crowned mangabey originates from the tropical rainforest areas of central and West Africa. The wild population has been reduced by over-hunting and destruction of habitat over the last 30 years. Remaining groups are living in separated fragments of forest and therefore exact numbers are not known, but there are not thought to be more than a few thousand left.

The White-crowned mangabey has a fine body structure with long limbs and a long tail. They have grey-brown fur with a white underside and a long black stripe on their backs. They get their name from the white spot on the top of their heads. The males are much larger than the females.

The white crowned mangabey spends its day foraging for food in the dense forest undergrowth, keeping in contact by constant calling. They eat mainly fruit, nuts and seeds but also insects and spiders. They live in groups of 10-20, formed by several males and females. The males come into the group whilst the females stay put and form the core; adhering to a strict hierarchy to avoid conflict. Female mangabeys will give birth to a single infant after 6 months' gestation, the infant is born with their eyes open, cling on to their mother from the minute they are born.

Conservation

All mangabeys are endangered due to habitat loss and forest degradation. Mangabeys are also endangered because of hunting for meat, their high and loud calls make them very easy to track. At the present moment many of the forests that still are home to the mangabeys are unprotected. Anti-poaching and forest restoration projects are being run and it is hoped that with time these efforts will see a rise in population numbers.

Threat Status