Colobus Trust Monkey Sanctuary

There are a variety of projects underway at the Colobus Trust in Kenya. Volunteers will be allocated specific duties, working alongside staff experienced in primate conservation. Duties will depend upon an individuals relative experience and upon present openings at the Trust.

These are hands on placements, so all volunteers in Kenya should be willing to help out with any aspect of the Trusts work when required. Animal rescue and veterinary rehabilitation is conducted by the trained staff of the Colobus Trust monkey sanctuary; however, volunteers are welcome to observe and learn.

More about The Colobus Trust

Established in January 1997, the Trust has a unique niche in the primate world by developing innovative primate conservation solutions that make an immediate impact.
The Colobus Trust works hard to conserve the highly endangered Colobus monkey, and is also working with other monkey species found in the area. Over the six years of the Trusts existence it has carried out many research projects that aim to reduce the impact of human development. The visions of the trust are:

• To conserve and protect the Angolan Colobus monkey and its habitat in Kenya;
• To inspire interest and participation from the volunteers in Kenya and the wider community in matters of environmental and primate conservation;
• To promote the welfare of primates and to reduce the impact of human development on the environment in Diani and Kenya;
• To work with monkeys to further understanding of the species and their conservation;
• To be able to respond and deliver a high quality primate rescue and rehabilitation service at the monkey sanctuary;
• To become a role model for other conservation-based charities in Kenya to follow and emulate.
• To be a considerate employer through training and fair wage structure, to be self-funding, producing high quality valuable work, and to be transparent.

Since the Trust was established in 1997 a number of special projects have been undertaken and completed, these include:

• Diani Sykes and Vevet Census – The size of the Sykes and Vervet population in Diani is been largely unknown. The Colobus trust is planning research to identify the troops and demography.
• Crop Raiding Primates Solutions – A project addressing crop raiding primates on farmers fields began in the middle of the 2004. The primates are affecting local farmers significantly, and we are looking for innovative solutions to address this issue.
• Survey of Diani Forest – The surveys will work with local land owners to make sustainable activities to preserving the remaining patches of forest for primate conservation.
• Primate Pest Behaviour – Continuing our work on primate pest behaviour, we will work towards a number of solutions trying to solve the hotel pest problem humanely. This includes monitoring the baboon vasectomy programme.
• Good Woods – Promoting the use of sustainable tree species in the tourist wood carving industry rather than forest hard woods.

Those volunteering in Kenya will have a general working week of Monday to Friday, 0900 to 1700. You wont be working with monkeys during the weekends or evenings; this is leisure time. This is when youll want to enjoy the area surrounding the monkey sanctuary, either by relaxing by the pool at the next door hotel or travelling further afield to see the elephants and other game animals at the amazing national parks of Kenya. Volunteers can cool off with a swim in the Indian Ocean, and there are also opportunities here for scuba diving, snorkelling, and windsurfing. You might choose to take trips (at own cost) to the sacred forests, the historic town of Mombasa or the mangrove swamps.

The focus of our primate conservation effort is just an hour south of Mombasa in Kenya, hidden away amongst almost twenty hectares of coastal forest. The Colobus Cottage is an office, research base, information centre, monkey sanctuary and rescue facility, and home for the Colobus Trust staff and volunteers since August 1997.

The grounds of the Colobus Cottage are also home to a habituated troop of Colobus monkeys, which reside almost entirely within the boundary of our plot. This makes the site ideal for working with this monkey species as well as the troops of baboons, vervets, and Sykes’ monkeys that pass through on their daily search for food.

It is a great location for ecological and behavioural studies relating to primate conservation – or to just come and watch the monkeys!

The Colobus Trust is situated in Diani, South Coast Kenya, approximately 30 kilometres south of the Likoni Ferry (Mombasa). Volunteers in Kenya can find the Colobus Cottage between a “Kim 4 Love” sign and the Jadini / Africana Hotels along the Diani beach road. This is where a team of volunteers and conservationists are working with monkeys to assure this primate’s conservation and survival. The surrounding forest is home to the endangered black and white Angolan Colobus monkey and the forests here echo with their song-like call.

Accommodation is simple. You will be sharing a room and bathroom with other volunteers. Facilities include electricity, gas, showers (cold), overhead fans, mosquito net, cleaning and laundry service. The cook will prepare good quality African meals. The house is in a secure area and has a night guard who patrols the house and garden area.

The house and office is a beachfront property nestled in the forest, overlooking the Indian Ocean and the white sand beach. Camels often rest in front of the stone fence. Also on the property are the rehabilitation cages for monkeys, and the veterinary clinic.

As a conservation volunteer in Kenya you will help and assist the primate conservation teams in their efforts to conserve the beautiful Colobus monkey. Working with more experienced primate conservationists, you will become actively involved in some of the rehabilitation of primates at the monkey sanctuary and help in the ongoing protection of their habitats.

As well as working with monkeys, you will also help to educate the local communities on primate conservation and ethics issues.

Worldwide Experience are specialists in offering gap year projects and conservation placements for volunteers in Kenya and South Africa. We can help you make a difference during your gap year or career break, working with monkeys and other animals whose future in the wild is not assured.

A Colobus Trust Volunteer in Kenya may have the opportunity to experience:

• Working with monkey populations, conducting census or other research on baboons, Sykes monkeys, vervets, and Colobus monkeys.
• Repairing or installing colobridges (monkey-crossing bridges over Diani Beach road)
• Removing vegetation from power lines to stop Colobus monkeys from being electrocuted
• Build fences to protect the environment around the monkey sanctuary
• Assisting with school education workshops on primate conservation
• Assisting with maintenance and repair work around the monkey sanctuary such as painting cages and building new infrastructure
• Working with monkey habitats, conducting forest surveys to determine resource extraction (poles and timber)
• Clearing invasive shrubs, planting trees and other practical conservation work in sacred kaya forests
• Conservation volunteers in Kenya may also assist with office-based work like preparing Colobus Trust newsletters and helping with the membership programme.