Primates

Collectively, Cercocebus and Mandrillus include nine species and two subspecies of African monkeys: seven species of Cercocebus and two of Mandrillus, including two drill subspecies. Together, they represent some of the least studied and hence least known of the Afro-Eurasian Primates.

Distributed in the Sundaland region (Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Java and adjacent smaller islands), langurs of the genus Presbytis are one of the most threatened groups of Asian primates. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 24 of the 28 taxa (>85%) are threatened with extinction (listed as Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable). One taxon is classified as Near Threatened and one as Data Deficient.

The golden monkey, Cercopithecus mitis kandti, an Endangered subspecies of blue monkey, is found in only two small populations in the central part of the Albertine Rift region in Central/East Africa.

This publication contains information about a safari of the author and his experiences during it. This includes various hunts and encounters with animals and people. 

Ranging from forests in Senegal to the Zanzibar Archipelago, red colobus monkeys (Piliocolobus spp.) are the most threatened group of African monkeys. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM in 2020, every form of red colobus monkey is threatened with extinction, and 14 of the 18 taxa (>75%) are listed as Critically Endangered or Endangered.

Gorillas, the largest of the Great Apes, are the second closest relatives to humans after chimpanzees and bonobos and, while once regarded as ferocious beasts, are now considered by those who have studied them to be gentle giants. Because of its limited range, the Mountain Gorilla was the first to become the subject of considerable research study by field biologists and later by wildlife photographers and writers.

Despite the dedicated efforts of many individuals and organizations, the great apes—our closest living relatives—are on the very edge of extinction. This sweeping atlas provides a comprehensive overview of what is currently known about all six species of great apes—chimpanzee, bonobo, Sumatran orangutan, Bornean orangutan, eastern gorilla, and western lowland gorilla.