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