Nairobi — A rare monkey species, the Tana River Red Colobus,
that is only found in Kenya, faces extinction due to
encroachment on their habitat by human activities, the
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources says. These monkeys are found in the Kenya Wildlife
Services' only primate reserve in the country - the Tana River
Primate Reserve. The KWS warden in charge of the reserve, Mr
Francis Mbaka, who has confirmed the developments, said human
encroachment on the primate reserve that include farming,
grazing and logging were the main cause of the declining
population of the Tana River Red Colobus monkey. "We have now
embarked on a massive awareness campaign among communities
living around the Tana River Primate Reserve on the need to
preserve the reserve for posterity," he said. Mr Mbaka said
human encroachment on the primate reserve had led to its
fragmentation, posing a major threat to the Tana River Red
Colobus and the Crested Mangabey monkeys. "The most affected
area of the res