CONSERVATION STATUS OF BLACK AND WHITE COLOBUS MONKEY (Colobus vellerosus) GEOFFREY 1834 IN UPPER OGUN REGION, SOUTHWESTNIGERIA

Abstract

The study assessed the conservation status of Black and white colobus monkey (Colobus vellerosus) in Upper Ogun region of South Western Nigeria from July 2016 to April 2017. Reconnaissance survey and direct search recces walk methodologies were adopted for data collection. Enumerations were carried out thrice in a week for a period of 4 months in the rainy season (July – October) and 4 months in the dry season (January- April). 169.7 km of sixteen (16) recces paths in OONP and 126.6 km of twelve (12) recces paths in OGR were walked. ArcGIS 10.3 software was used to analyse the tracks and observations recorded using GPS. The data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Data on number of individual of the species sighted and identified threats were evaluated using charts and encounter rates. An independent sample test was used to test for significance difference in the anthropogenic threats encountered in the wet and dry season in Upper Ogun region as a whole and both in OONP and OGR. The seasonal variability in the number of anthropogenic activities encountered within OONP and OGR was tested using mean ± standard deviation. The study revealed that Old Oyo National Park and Opara Game Reserve remain the only protected areas of national and international recognition in the region which is the transition zone between the forest of South Western Nigeria and the Dahomey gap harbouring Colobus vellerosus. The result of the study indicated that seven (7) and four (4) individuals of Colobus vellerosus were sighted in OONP and Opara Game Reserve respectively. Encounter rate for each study sites was therefore 0.01/km. The findings revealed sixteen (16) and twenty (20) disturbance threats of both direct and indirect pressures within the habitat of Colobus vellerosus both in OONP and OGR respectively. Individual encountered (1.51) had the highest while the Farms (0.01) had the least in OONP also in OGR, individual had highest encountered 4.12 but hunter’s camp had the least 0. 03. The result indicated that there is no significant difference in the mean of encounter rates of anthropogenic activities in OONP (0.28) and OGR (0.68) as t (38) = 1.828, p = 0.20 at 95% confidence level. The study revealed extremely high encountered rate of diverse illegal human activities in the dry season as compared to the wet season in the study site. The study was able to confirm the presence of the species in Old Oyo National Park and Opara Game reserve. They occurred with low population in a narrow range of riparian forest amidst rampant anthropogenic activities and if quick action is not taken against these threats it may possibly lead to extinction.