Abstract:
Mona monkey (Cercopithecus mona) is an arboreal creature and can be found primarily in rainforests, toward the middle storey and the uppermost storey of the trees. They exhibit a high sense of intelligence and are socially interesting which invariably makes them to command high tourist value in protected areas. This study was carried out at Ibodi sacred forest, Osun state, Nigeria. It aimed at documenting the traditional practices and conservation methods that aid the conservation of Mona monkey in the study area, provide an estimate of the population of Mona monkey in Ibodi sacred forest, assess the vegetation component (woody component) supporting the animal in Ibodi Sacred forest and produce the Geographic information system map of Ibodi sacred forest in relation to the town. Line transect method was used to estimate the population of the Mona monkey in Ibodi sacred forest. Three transects were randomly established for population monitoring along the natural trails of the Ibodi sacred forest and these transects were transverse twice on daily basis. The Vegetation assessment of Ibodi sacred forest was carried out using the plot count method. Plot count which is also known as total count is the total head count of all the trees that are available on a land area. In plot count, quadrant of different sizes and shapes may be used thus making it suitable for the forest area. The Geographic Information System map of Ibodi sacred forest was produced using the MapInfo Professional 5.0 software to upload the tracks that were recorded in the global positioning system (GPS) together with ArcView 3.2a. . The relevance of tabbos and cultural laws in the continued existence of forest biodiversity were demonstrated in the study. This was evidenced as a result of the presence of Mona monkey (Cercopithecus mona) in the sacred groove that belongs to the community. The survey that was carried out on the woody component of the sacred forest and the home range of the Mona monkey shows that there is good percentage of woody trees that can support the Mona monkey in their habitat. The production of the GIS map of the sacred forest will also help future researchers to know if there are are changes in the size and the component of the sacred forest in the future. In all the study, this research revealed some of the traditional practices of the people of Ibodi community that have greatly helped in the conservation of Mona monkey in the area.
