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CERCO-NEWS
                           V O L U M E      2 ,   I S S U E   1                                   J A N U A R Y     2 0 1 0



INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
                       Mona release group ready for
Mona release       1
                       action!!
group ready for                   The entire             now spends a lot of time           together, the group now con-
action!!               CERCOPAN team is proud to         guarding his group and             sisting 1 adult male, 1 adult
                       announce that the future          threatening anything that          female, 3 juvenile males and 3
                       mona release group is finally     comes within close proximity       juvenile females is doing very
From the           2   completely bonded and ready       of his new family...including      well. Preparations are still
Director               to be reintroduced into Rhoko     staff! .                           underway at the forest site to
                       forest core area! After                      A few weeks after       make sure everything is ready
                       experiencing difficulties and     the successful bonding of          to successfully receive and
Hunter’s to swap 2     delays throughout 2009, we        Mottie, two additional             release the group. We are
bush meat to beef
                       hope to give these animals a      juvenile females were              currently making the final
                       second chance of freedom in       introduced into the group:         repairs/adjustments to the
meat!
                       early March 2010.                 Bella, one of our fairly recent    release enclosure and to two
                                  As mentioned in the    arrivals, and Sandra, a 2 year     other enclosures which will be
Researchers        3   November issue of                 old female. Bella was              used to space the Rhoko
whistle for            CERCONEWS, we have                immediately adopted by             rehabilitation centre captive
monkey                 recently bonded a 9 year old      Offiong and Omor, who were         animals. Lessons learned from
friendships            adult male, Mottie, to the        happy to have a new play-          the previous release in 2007-
                       group. Mottie arrived 2 years     mate. Kemi, the adult female,      2008 have show that spacing
Festive football   4   ago in a terrible state of        however, initially seemed          the animals throughout the
strengthening          neglect and was on the verge      more dubious about the             forest is vital to prevent the
relationships          of being killed by his owners     presence of a new female ,         release group being attracted
                       when we heard about his           but this quickly gave way to       by the presence of a huge
Senior staff
                       plight and rescued him. He        tolerance and grooming.            group of monkeys. It is hoped
                   4
receive
                       had survived for many years       Sandra had lived with Mottie       that the two Rhoko captive
                       by supplementing his diet of      previously and therefore had       mona groups will also be re-
management
                       ground cassava with insects       an advantage upon entering         leased in late 2010/ early
training from HR
                       he was able to catch inside his   the group. Mottie is very          2011, bringing us ever closer
specialist
                       small cage.                       protective towards Sandra          to our goal of restoring the
                   4              When Mottie was        who seems to be his favorite       historical primate community
                       introduced into the release       juvenile female.                   of this forest.
                       group, at that time composed                 After a few weeks all
                       of 5 individuals, former enclo-
                       sure mate Offiong immedi-
Expanding          5   ately
education with
creativity
                       approached to Our mona release
                       groom and
                                         group currently
                       play with him,
New Arrival at     5                     waiting in Calabar
                       helping
CERCOPAN               Mottie quickly until the ‘big day’
                       fit into the      they return to the
                       group. Mottie forest
                       is very
Want to be a part 6
of it
                       tolerant with
                       the other
                       monas and
PAGE       2
                               From the Director
                                          Happy new year          work conserving the primates        to say that I have chosen to
                               everyone! I hope that your         and rainforests of Nigeria.         extend my stay with the
                               festive season was as happy                    2010 is already         organization and still enjoy
                               and event packed as ours           shaping up to be a particularly     my work as much today as I
                               here at CERCOPAN! We were          exciting year in the history of     did in my first week here. It
                               extremely fortunate over the       our organization with the           has been an honour to be
                               last month to be allocated         onset of the development of         part of the CERCOPAN team
                               grants from International          our new site at UNICAL,             and to be given the
                               Primate Protection League,         completion of the Iko Esai          chance to really make a
                               Columbus Zoo and the Tusk          community centre and the            difference to primate
                               Trust, in addition to the many     second mona monkey release          conservation. I would like to
                               generous donations made on         all set to happen in the early      say a big thank you to Zena
    Claire Coulson             our blog and website over          stages of this year. It is also a   Tooze our founder, trustee
    CERCOPAN                   Christmas. I would like to         special time for me                 and former       Director for
    Director                   personally thank all of these      personally, as on the 22nd of       giving me the opportunity to
                               organizations and individuals      this month I will celebrate the     work here, it has literally been
                               for their generous support,        end of my third year at             the best three
                               without which we would not         CERCOPAN and the end of my          years of my life.
                               be able to continue our vital      original contract. I am happy


                                                                                                From all the staff and
                                                                                                volunteers here at
                                                                                                CERCOPAN
          “The system

       builds upon the

      hunters existing

              skills and

        familiarisation

    with butchery and

      the meat trade”


                           Calabar Rehabilitation Centre Staff                      Rhoko Education and Research Centre Staff




                               Hunter’s to swap bush meat for beef meat!
Previous training given                    CERCOPAN is about      sale of beef and other products     reduces both hunting pressure
on snail farming               to embark upon a new               from the processing of a locally    on the forest and the hardships,
                               sustainable livelihood             purchased cow. The                  risks and uncertainty on the
                               programme in Iko Esai, a cow       revenue realised from the first     men undertaking regular 5 day
                               meat cooperative. The              sale will be reinvested into the    hunting trips. Workshops will
                               programme takes the form of a      purchase of a second animal         also be undertaken to improve
                               micro credit scheme and 5          and the profits further invested    their business and accounting
                               hunters have been                  in additional materials.            skills.
                               selected based on needs and                    This system builds                  Since 2006
                               interest levels; this represents   upon the hunters existing skills    CERCOPAN has instigated a
                               nearly 15% of the existing         and familiarisation with            number of sustainable alterna-
                               hunters in the village. These      butchery and the meat trade. It     tive livelihood programmes
                               individuals will be assisted in    also provides a valuable protein    including snail farming, bee
                               setting up a market base for the   source to the village and           keeping, baking ,and driving.
VOLUME         2,   ISSUE        1                                                                               PAGE     3


Researchers whistle for monkey
friendships!
          One of the many        fled in the presence of           nounces his presence to the
research projects currently      researchers and so the            animals by emitting a whis-
being undertaken by              monas were unable to              tle. The reaction of the
researchers in Rhoko forest      interact with them. Since         monkeys to the observer is
core area is the study and       early 2008, three Rhoko           then recorded. Since the
habituation of a wild troop      research assistants, in           onset of this study, we have
of putty-nosed guenons.          addition to short term            seen a significant change in
Habituating this group not       volunteers and 2 research         the reaction of the monkeys
only affords CERCOPAN the        coordinators have                 to human observers. At
opportunity to learn more        attempted to find the             first, the monkeys fled the
about the natural behavior       monkeys each day and to           instant they were aware of
of this species, but it also     habituate them to their           human presence.
facilitates the possibility of   presence in preparation for       Researchers are now             Two of our research assis-
mixed species associations       the forthcoming mona              however, able to follow the     tants searching for putty-
for our release group (See       release.                          animals for extended            nosed guenons in our core
page 1).                                   The Rhoko research      periods during which the        area
          During the first       assistants have proven ex-        putty’s simply carry on their
mona re-introduction in          tremely skillful in finding the   activity, feeding on wild
2007-2008, the released          wild monkeys, using their         fruits and leaves and
animals tried on numerous        instinct and knowledge of         sometimes they even watch
occasions to join the wild       monkey behavior and the           their human followers with
putty group to form a poly-      forest. When the wild troop       curiosity.                           “At the beginning,
specific association, which is   is detected, the observers                   CERCOPAN hopes
a natural phenomenon             approach them quietly and         to gather as much                     the monkeys were
among guenon species.            try to identify the individu-     information as possible
Unfortunately, the puttys        als. The observer then an-        about the feeding ecology             fleeing away very
                                                                   and movement patterns of
                                                                                                          quickly, but now
                                                                   these wild monkeys, given
                                                                   that very little has been              some individuals
                                                                   published on this species.
                                                                   For now, we are confident              are more used to
                                                                   that there are 15 individuals
                                                                   in the group, often joined by          the observer and
                                                                   7 red-eared guenons. The
                                                                                                          are even curious,
                                                                   red-ears of Rhoko forest are
                                                                   more accustomed to                      watching them”
                                                                   humans than the puttys,
                                                                   since a previous visiting
                                                                   researcher began
                                                                   habituating them while con-
                                                                   ducting his work. The red
                                                                   ears gain the advantage of
                                                                   added protection by joining
                                                                   the putty group and the
                                                                   larger group size also makes
                                                                   it easier for them to find
                                                                   good quality food patches.
                                                                   Hopefully our mona release
                                                                   group will be gaining very
                                                                   similar advantages in the
                                                                   near future!
PAGE     4

                        Festive football strengthens relationships
                              CERCOPAN has once          the more unusual conditions        and won, and eventually
                        again taken part in the annual   of village football, where         came third overall. The staff
                        Iko Esai community football      others play barefoot and the       were very pleased for Obun, a
                        tournament! Our host village     start of each tournament           member of our patrol team,
                        invited us to make up a team     begins with making and filling     who won the award for ‘Best
                        of CERCOPAN staff and            holes in an attempt to even        Goalkeeper’ in the tourna-
                        volunteers to play against the   out the pitch! Several have        ment!
                        other village teams. Six teams   ended up with twisted ankles            This participation in
                        played in all and each team is   in the past so it is definitely    community activities has
                        from a street within the         ‘extreme ball’!                    really helped CERCOPAN
                        village, except for CERCOPAN.
                                                               The tournament started       reach out to the village and
CERCOPAN staff ‘v’            The competition runs       with two groups of three           we feel honored that they
one of the various      from Christmas Eve until the     teams, and CERCOPAN                consider us so much a part of
village teams           3rd of January making it a       successfully reached second        their community that they
                        very festive affair. CERCOPAN    position in group B, qualifying    involve us in all village
                        volunteers have often found      for the semi-finals. In the        activities.
                        it a challenge to play under     semi-finals they played well


                        Senior Staff receive management training from
     “The staff were    HR specialist
     very pleased for              We were very          capacity building of local staff   clarify the operational needs
    Obun, a member      pleased this month when we       and all of these employees         of the organization. Many
                        had a visit from a local         also recently completed a UK       staff gave suggestions for
        of our patrol   expatriate HR specialist, Zia    based correspondence course        improvements to the system
                        Paul-Birabi, who gave a train-   in Primatology. The workshop       which have already been
     team, who won
                        ing session to management        was also attended by two           taken on board and
       the award for    and senior staff on reporting    Senior staff from Rhoko, who       implemented .
                        and management techniques.       are currently undertaking a                   Zia plans to return
   ‘Best Goalkeeper’    Having recently promoted 3       leadership course with             for an additional session
                        Calabar employees to senior      Canadian NGO ‘One Sky’.
               in the                                                                       soon. We would like to thank
                        staff we are very keen to help            The session was a         her very much for
       tournament!”     them develop in their new        huge success and many issues       volunteering her skills freely
                        roles. CERCOPAN places great     were discussed that help           to assist our organization.
                        emphasis on training and

                        Amy Baxter takes on key CERCOPAN role
                        Amy Baxter, Oxford Brooks        has done an absolutely amaz-       hard work and effort in 2009.
                        Primate Conservation MSc         ing job re-organizing the ac-      Amy is the 6th long term vol-
                        graduate, was originally         counts, managing staff , writ-     unteer in the last three years
                        recruited in March 2009 as a     ing blogs/newsletter articles      to have extended her
                        Mangabey and Putty nosed         and running the centre day         contract. A further two MSC
                        Guenon Coordinator based at      to day, allowing the Director      students have returned to
                        Rhoko. In September 2009,        more time for fundraising,         volunteer after conducting
                        she was drafted in to Calabar    project       management           short term research and 2
                        HQ to assist with administra-    etc. We are absolutely thrilled    former volunteers are now
                        tion and finances, after the     by Amy’s decision to officially    planning PHd’s here. We feel
                        global financial crisis forced   take on the key voluntary role     very lucky to attract such
                        us to cut down on the            of Administration and Opera-       dedicated people to our
                        number of long term              tions Manager and would like       organization.
                        supported volunteers. Amy        to thank her for all of her

            CERCO-NEWS
VOLUME         2,   ISSUE     1                                                                                   PAGE    5




Expanding education with creativity
                                                 educational out-   our rehabilitation centre and
                                   Abakum in reach            ma-   it’s resident monkeys. The
                                   our           terials! He has    movie will also explain the
                                   Calabar       already designed   important role of primates in
                                   education a CERCOPAN             the forest, the importance of
                                   centre        board game, up-    forest conservation, the laws
                                                 dated the educa-   in Nigerian pertaining to pri-
                                   tion centre displays and has     mates and why primates
                                   started collecting stories       should not be kept as pets.
         Our recently              about our primate residents to            The DVD will be sold
promoted Education Officer,        make an informative              for a small fee at the               “The monkey
Abakum, has been proving his       pamphlet for visitors. Now       rehabilitation centre to help        hung from the
worth with a mass of               Abakum is shooting a film that   support our vital work.
suggestions to improve our         provides a personal tour of                                           roof, climbing

                                                                                                         up and down


New Arrival at CERCOPAN                                                                                  the rope but

                                                                                                         unfortunately

          During December we       allow him to be taken to         across the room – not too            unable to
had a call from a member of        CERCOPAN rehabilitation          carefully I may add!
                                                                                                         reach the
our security staff saying he had   centre.                                    Named ‘Rudolph’ for
seen a monkey being kept as a                The dealer had         his characteristic red nose and      floor”
pet in a bar. Immediately staff    actually been fond of this       the festive season in which
mounted a rescue attempt and       young red ear and had cared      he was rescued, he is now in
left for the bar with Claire.      for him very well. We feel       quarantine where he has
          Upon arrival at the      lucky to have rescued him        undergone his first TB test and
bar, the staff could see a small   when we did, as the conditions   after 14 weeks will be moved
red-eared guenon, about a          at the bar would have led his    in with 2 other red-eared
year old, dangling on a rope       health to plummet rapidly. He    guenons of a similar age,
from the ceiling. The monkey       is especially friendly and       Mickey and Jerry. He is
hung from the roof, climbing       seems to have been trained to    already fascinated by all of the
up and down the rope but           lie back very baby-like,         other primates in quarantine
unfortunately could not reach      enjoying nothing more than a     and makes constant contact
the floor. Negotiations began,     good belly rub. He               calls to them. We have no
but rapidly became heated as       currently spends some time in    doubt he will make friends
the owner had purchased the        the office each day being        fast .
monkey that morning and            socialised as he is in
therefore felt he must be          quarantine alone and play is
compensated. Despite hostility     important for primate
from bystanders, CERCOPAN          mental health. He loves to
staff remained calm and polite     take huge leaps between
and agreed to travel with the      furniture and especially
owner to where he had bought       loves jumping on a human
the monkey to negotiate with       from a great distance then
both him and the dealer.           leaping straight back off                                           Rudolph
          After many hours of      again. This playful, inquisi-                                       the red-
debate and difficulty              tive nature has also                                                  eared
CERCOPAN staff eventually          resulted in many books,
                                                                                                        guenon
persuaded the dealer to give       cups, pens, and anything
up the monkey unpaid and           else available being carried
WANT TO BE A PART OF IT?
                                                  •   Make a cash donation to CERCOPAN via our
                                                      website...every little helps!
•   Stay in touch with our on-going programme
    by bookmarking our home page               •      Buy a gift for friends or family from the
    http://www.cercopan.org/ and our Blog site        Good Gifts Catalogue (www.goodgifts.org).
    http://cercopan.wildlifedirect.org/               You can buy a month's supply of fruit for
                                                      growing CERCOPAN orphan monkeys -
•   Volunteer for CERCOPAN in either Nigeria or       called in the catalogue 'A-peeling Monkeys'
    the UK. We offer a range of different             for only £20! The price of the gift is passed
    programmes so there is something for              on to CERCOPAN. So, it is an excellent way
    everyone! Visit our website volunteer             of solving your gift problems, and support-
    section for further details.                      ing our work! Alternatively visit the CERCO-
                                                      PAN gift shop on our website today.
•   Help CERCOPAN attain corporate funding. If
    you work for a corporate sponsor who may •        Donate useful goods and equipment such as
    be interested in funding CERCOPAN please          building and fencing materials, veterinary
    contact claire.coulson@cercopan.org               medicines, old laptop computers etc. or
                                                      services such as printing, blood testing and
•   Undertaken a sponsored event to raise             architectural design.
    funds for CERCOPAN.



           www.cercopan.org
    http://cercopan.wildlifedirect.org




                      All photos in this newsletter were taken at CERCOPAN or Iko Esai
                                        by staff, volunteers and visitors.
                         Photo Credits: Amy Baxter, Sylvain Lemoine, Richard Carroll
                                         © Copyright CERCOPAN 2010
            Design & Layout by Claire Coulson; Written by Claire Coulson, Amy Baxter and Sylvain
                                       Lemoine; Edited by Claire Coulson

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CERCONEWS January 2010

  • 1. CERCO-NEWS V O L U M E 2 , I S S U E 1 J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 0 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Mona release group ready for Mona release 1 action!! group ready for The entire now spends a lot of time together, the group now con- action!! CERCOPAN team is proud to guarding his group and sisting 1 adult male, 1 adult announce that the future threatening anything that female, 3 juvenile males and 3 mona release group is finally comes within close proximity juvenile females is doing very From the 2 completely bonded and ready of his new family...including well. Preparations are still Director to be reintroduced into Rhoko staff! . underway at the forest site to forest core area! After A few weeks after make sure everything is ready experiencing difficulties and the successful bonding of to successfully receive and Hunter’s to swap 2 delays throughout 2009, we Mottie, two additional release the group. We are bush meat to beef hope to give these animals a juvenile females were currently making the final second chance of freedom in introduced into the group: repairs/adjustments to the meat! early March 2010. Bella, one of our fairly recent release enclosure and to two As mentioned in the arrivals, and Sandra, a 2 year other enclosures which will be Researchers 3 November issue of old female. Bella was used to space the Rhoko whistle for CERCONEWS, we have immediately adopted by rehabilitation centre captive monkey recently bonded a 9 year old Offiong and Omor, who were animals. Lessons learned from friendships adult male, Mottie, to the happy to have a new play- the previous release in 2007- group. Mottie arrived 2 years mate. Kemi, the adult female, 2008 have show that spacing Festive football 4 ago in a terrible state of however, initially seemed the animals throughout the strengthening neglect and was on the verge more dubious about the forest is vital to prevent the relationships of being killed by his owners presence of a new female , release group being attracted when we heard about his but this quickly gave way to by the presence of a huge Senior staff plight and rescued him. He tolerance and grooming. group of monkeys. It is hoped 4 receive had survived for many years Sandra had lived with Mottie that the two Rhoko captive by supplementing his diet of previously and therefore had mona groups will also be re- management ground cassava with insects an advantage upon entering leased in late 2010/ early training from HR he was able to catch inside his the group. Mottie is very 2011, bringing us ever closer specialist small cage. protective towards Sandra to our goal of restoring the 4 When Mottie was who seems to be his favorite historical primate community introduced into the release juvenile female. of this forest. group, at that time composed After a few weeks all of 5 individuals, former enclo- sure mate Offiong immedi- Expanding 5 ately education with creativity approached to Our mona release groom and group currently play with him, New Arrival at 5 waiting in Calabar helping CERCOPAN Mottie quickly until the ‘big day’ fit into the they return to the group. Mottie forest is very Want to be a part 6 of it tolerant with the other monas and
  • 2. PAGE 2 From the Director Happy new year work conserving the primates to say that I have chosen to everyone! I hope that your and rainforests of Nigeria. extend my stay with the festive season was as happy 2010 is already organization and still enjoy and event packed as ours shaping up to be a particularly my work as much today as I here at CERCOPAN! We were exciting year in the history of did in my first week here. It extremely fortunate over the our organization with the has been an honour to be last month to be allocated onset of the development of part of the CERCOPAN team grants from International our new site at UNICAL, and to be given the Primate Protection League, completion of the Iko Esai chance to really make a Columbus Zoo and the Tusk community centre and the difference to primate Trust, in addition to the many second mona monkey release conservation. I would like to generous donations made on all set to happen in the early say a big thank you to Zena Claire Coulson our blog and website over stages of this year. It is also a Tooze our founder, trustee CERCOPAN Christmas. I would like to special time for me and former Director for Director personally thank all of these personally, as on the 22nd of giving me the opportunity to organizations and individuals this month I will celebrate the work here, it has literally been for their generous support, end of my third year at the best three without which we would not CERCOPAN and the end of my years of my life. be able to continue our vital original contract. I am happy From all the staff and volunteers here at CERCOPAN “The system builds upon the hunters existing skills and familiarisation with butchery and the meat trade” Calabar Rehabilitation Centre Staff Rhoko Education and Research Centre Staff Hunter’s to swap bush meat for beef meat! Previous training given CERCOPAN is about sale of beef and other products reduces both hunting pressure on snail farming to embark upon a new from the processing of a locally on the forest and the hardships, sustainable livelihood purchased cow. The risks and uncertainty on the programme in Iko Esai, a cow revenue realised from the first men undertaking regular 5 day meat cooperative. The sale will be reinvested into the hunting trips. Workshops will programme takes the form of a purchase of a second animal also be undertaken to improve micro credit scheme and 5 and the profits further invested their business and accounting hunters have been in additional materials. skills. selected based on needs and This system builds Since 2006 interest levels; this represents upon the hunters existing skills CERCOPAN has instigated a nearly 15% of the existing and familiarisation with number of sustainable alterna- hunters in the village. These butchery and the meat trade. It tive livelihood programmes individuals will be assisted in also provides a valuable protein including snail farming, bee setting up a market base for the source to the village and keeping, baking ,and driving.
  • 3. VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 PAGE 3 Researchers whistle for monkey friendships! One of the many fled in the presence of nounces his presence to the research projects currently researchers and so the animals by emitting a whis- being undertaken by monas were unable to tle. The reaction of the researchers in Rhoko forest interact with them. Since monkeys to the observer is core area is the study and early 2008, three Rhoko then recorded. Since the habituation of a wild troop research assistants, in onset of this study, we have of putty-nosed guenons. addition to short term seen a significant change in Habituating this group not volunteers and 2 research the reaction of the monkeys only affords CERCOPAN the coordinators have to human observers. At opportunity to learn more attempted to find the first, the monkeys fled the about the natural behavior monkeys each day and to instant they were aware of of this species, but it also habituate them to their human presence. facilitates the possibility of presence in preparation for Researchers are now Two of our research assis- mixed species associations the forthcoming mona however, able to follow the tants searching for putty- for our release group (See release. animals for extended nosed guenons in our core page 1). The Rhoko research periods during which the area During the first assistants have proven ex- putty’s simply carry on their mona re-introduction in tremely skillful in finding the activity, feeding on wild 2007-2008, the released wild monkeys, using their fruits and leaves and animals tried on numerous instinct and knowledge of sometimes they even watch occasions to join the wild monkey behavior and the their human followers with putty group to form a poly- forest. When the wild troop curiosity. “At the beginning, specific association, which is is detected, the observers CERCOPAN hopes a natural phenomenon approach them quietly and to gather as much the monkeys were among guenon species. try to identify the individu- information as possible Unfortunately, the puttys als. The observer then an- about the feeding ecology fleeing away very and movement patterns of quickly, but now these wild monkeys, given that very little has been some individuals published on this species. For now, we are confident are more used to that there are 15 individuals in the group, often joined by the observer and 7 red-eared guenons. The are even curious, red-ears of Rhoko forest are more accustomed to watching them” humans than the puttys, since a previous visiting researcher began habituating them while con- ducting his work. The red ears gain the advantage of added protection by joining the putty group and the larger group size also makes it easier for them to find good quality food patches. Hopefully our mona release group will be gaining very similar advantages in the near future!
  • 4. PAGE 4 Festive football strengthens relationships CERCOPAN has once the more unusual conditions and won, and eventually again taken part in the annual of village football, where came third overall. The staff Iko Esai community football others play barefoot and the were very pleased for Obun, a tournament! Our host village start of each tournament member of our patrol team, invited us to make up a team begins with making and filling who won the award for ‘Best of CERCOPAN staff and holes in an attempt to even Goalkeeper’ in the tourna- volunteers to play against the out the pitch! Several have ment! other village teams. Six teams ended up with twisted ankles This participation in played in all and each team is in the past so it is definitely community activities has from a street within the ‘extreme ball’! really helped CERCOPAN village, except for CERCOPAN. The tournament started reach out to the village and CERCOPAN staff ‘v’ The competition runs with two groups of three we feel honored that they one of the various from Christmas Eve until the teams, and CERCOPAN consider us so much a part of village teams 3rd of January making it a successfully reached second their community that they very festive affair. CERCOPAN position in group B, qualifying involve us in all village volunteers have often found for the semi-finals. In the activities. it a challenge to play under semi-finals they played well Senior Staff receive management training from “The staff were HR specialist very pleased for We were very capacity building of local staff clarify the operational needs Obun, a member pleased this month when we and all of these employees of the organization. Many had a visit from a local also recently completed a UK staff gave suggestions for of our patrol expatriate HR specialist, Zia based correspondence course improvements to the system Paul-Birabi, who gave a train- in Primatology. The workshop which have already been team, who won ing session to management was also attended by two taken on board and the award for and senior staff on reporting Senior staff from Rhoko, who implemented . and management techniques. are currently undertaking a Zia plans to return ‘Best Goalkeeper’ Having recently promoted 3 leadership course with for an additional session Calabar employees to senior Canadian NGO ‘One Sky’. in the soon. We would like to thank staff we are very keen to help The session was a her very much for tournament!” them develop in their new huge success and many issues volunteering her skills freely roles. CERCOPAN places great were discussed that help to assist our organization. emphasis on training and Amy Baxter takes on key CERCOPAN role Amy Baxter, Oxford Brooks has done an absolutely amaz- hard work and effort in 2009. Primate Conservation MSc ing job re-organizing the ac- Amy is the 6th long term vol- graduate, was originally counts, managing staff , writ- unteer in the last three years recruited in March 2009 as a ing blogs/newsletter articles to have extended her Mangabey and Putty nosed and running the centre day contract. A further two MSC Guenon Coordinator based at to day, allowing the Director students have returned to Rhoko. In September 2009, more time for fundraising, volunteer after conducting she was drafted in to Calabar project management short term research and 2 HQ to assist with administra- etc. We are absolutely thrilled former volunteers are now tion and finances, after the by Amy’s decision to officially planning PHd’s here. We feel global financial crisis forced take on the key voluntary role very lucky to attract such us to cut down on the of Administration and Opera- dedicated people to our number of long term tions Manager and would like organization. supported volunteers. Amy to thank her for all of her CERCO-NEWS
  • 5. VOLUME 2, ISSUE 1 PAGE 5 Expanding education with creativity educational out- our rehabilitation centre and Abakum in reach ma- it’s resident monkeys. The our terials! He has movie will also explain the Calabar already designed important role of primates in education a CERCOPAN the forest, the importance of centre board game, up- forest conservation, the laws dated the educa- in Nigerian pertaining to pri- tion centre displays and has mates and why primates started collecting stories should not be kept as pets. Our recently about our primate residents to The DVD will be sold promoted Education Officer, make an informative for a small fee at the “The monkey Abakum, has been proving his pamphlet for visitors. Now rehabilitation centre to help hung from the worth with a mass of Abakum is shooting a film that support our vital work. suggestions to improve our provides a personal tour of roof, climbing up and down New Arrival at CERCOPAN the rope but unfortunately During December we allow him to be taken to across the room – not too unable to had a call from a member of CERCOPAN rehabilitation carefully I may add! reach the our security staff saying he had centre. Named ‘Rudolph’ for seen a monkey being kept as a The dealer had his characteristic red nose and floor” pet in a bar. Immediately staff actually been fond of this the festive season in which mounted a rescue attempt and young red ear and had cared he was rescued, he is now in left for the bar with Claire. for him very well. We feel quarantine where he has Upon arrival at the lucky to have rescued him undergone his first TB test and bar, the staff could see a small when we did, as the conditions after 14 weeks will be moved red-eared guenon, about a at the bar would have led his in with 2 other red-eared year old, dangling on a rope health to plummet rapidly. He guenons of a similar age, from the ceiling. The monkey is especially friendly and Mickey and Jerry. He is hung from the roof, climbing seems to have been trained to already fascinated by all of the up and down the rope but lie back very baby-like, other primates in quarantine unfortunately could not reach enjoying nothing more than a and makes constant contact the floor. Negotiations began, good belly rub. He calls to them. We have no but rapidly became heated as currently spends some time in doubt he will make friends the owner had purchased the the office each day being fast . monkey that morning and socialised as he is in therefore felt he must be quarantine alone and play is compensated. Despite hostility important for primate from bystanders, CERCOPAN mental health. He loves to staff remained calm and polite take huge leaps between and agreed to travel with the furniture and especially owner to where he had bought loves jumping on a human the monkey to negotiate with from a great distance then both him and the dealer. leaping straight back off Rudolph After many hours of again. This playful, inquisi- the red- debate and difficulty tive nature has also eared CERCOPAN staff eventually resulted in many books, guenon persuaded the dealer to give cups, pens, and anything up the monkey unpaid and else available being carried
  • 6. WANT TO BE A PART OF IT? • Make a cash donation to CERCOPAN via our website...every little helps! • Stay in touch with our on-going programme by bookmarking our home page • Buy a gift for friends or family from the http://www.cercopan.org/ and our Blog site Good Gifts Catalogue (www.goodgifts.org). http://cercopan.wildlifedirect.org/ You can buy a month's supply of fruit for growing CERCOPAN orphan monkeys - • Volunteer for CERCOPAN in either Nigeria or called in the catalogue 'A-peeling Monkeys' the UK. We offer a range of different for only £20! The price of the gift is passed programmes so there is something for on to CERCOPAN. So, it is an excellent way everyone! Visit our website volunteer of solving your gift problems, and support- section for further details. ing our work! Alternatively visit the CERCO- PAN gift shop on our website today. • Help CERCOPAN attain corporate funding. If you work for a corporate sponsor who may • Donate useful goods and equipment such as be interested in funding CERCOPAN please building and fencing materials, veterinary contact claire.coulson@cercopan.org medicines, old laptop computers etc. or services such as printing, blood testing and • Undertaken a sponsored event to raise architectural design. funds for CERCOPAN. www.cercopan.org http://cercopan.wildlifedirect.org All photos in this newsletter were taken at CERCOPAN or Iko Esai by staff, volunteers and visitors. Photo Credits: Amy Baxter, Sylvain Lemoine, Richard Carroll © Copyright CERCOPAN 2010 Design & Layout by Claire Coulson; Written by Claire Coulson, Amy Baxter and Sylvain Lemoine; Edited by Claire Coulson