Research

My research involved several aspects of primatology, but has almost always revolved around population, feeding ecology, human-primates interactions, habitat sustainability and zoonosis. My current research is on the population, feeding, and endoparasites of wild drill monkeys (Mandrillus leucophaeus) in the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary in Cross River State, Nigeria. My objective is to better understand the ecology of these endangered primates by focusing on their role as hosts for the many parasite species that infect them.”

Field Site

The Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary

The Sanctuary is situated within the mountainous and relatively rugged rainforest block in the border region of South-Eastern Nigeria and South-West Cameroon, an area recognized as one of Africa’s biodiversity hotspots. The sanctuary which is located within the Afi River Forest Reserve in Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria, lies approximately between latitude 6o 15' and 6o 25' North and between longitude 8o 55' and 9o 15' East. Following renewed international attention in the late 1980s, the creation of a wildlife sanctuary at Afi Mountains for the conservation of the endemic Cross River Gorilla and other wildlife species was recommended. Thus in May 2000, the Cross River State Government gazetted the Afi Mountain WildlifeSanctuary covering approximately 100 km2.

Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary falls within the tropical high forest vegetation zone. The entire area falls within a broad annual rain fall zone of 3,000 mm - 3,800 mm but, with a variation increasing from lowland to uphill. Rainy season starts around late March / early April to September with a break in August. The dry season starts from October and ends in March. The mean monthly maximum temperature ranges from 22.2oC to 27.4oC.

Notable endemic and endangered species of wildlife include the Cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli), Nigeria chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes ELLOITTI) and drill (Mandrillus leucophaeus). Other known wildlife species which are protected by the Endangered Species Decree 11 of 1985 include the red-eared guenon (Cercopithecus erythrotis), mona guenon (Cercopithecus mona) and red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus). Presently, the sanctuary habours the world’s largest roosting site for migrating European barn swallows (Hirundo rustica), and also an important nesting site for the rare bare-necked rock fowl (Picarthertes oreas).

Learn more about the Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary through WCS Nigeria

Map of Nigeria showing location of Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary in Cross River State.