| Kipunji | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Primates |
| Suborder: | Haplorhini |
| Infraorder: | Simiiformes |
| Family: | Cercopithecidae |
| Subfamily: | Cercopithecinae |
| Tribe: | Papionini |
| Genus: | Rungwecebus Davenport, 2006 |
| Species: | |
| Binomial name | |
| Rungwecebus kipunji[1][2] (Jones et al., 2005) | |
 | |
| Kipunji range | |
Thekipunji (Rungwecebus kipunji), also known as thehighland mangabey, is aspecies ofOld World monkey that lives in the highland forests ofTanzania. It was independently discovered by researchers from theWildlife Conservation Society, theUniversity of Georgia, andConservation International, in December 2003 and July 2004, making it the first new African monkey species discovered since 1984.[1] Originally assigned to the genusLophocebus,[1][4] genetic and morphological data showed that it is more closely related to thebaboons (genusPapio) than to the other mangabeys in the genusLophocebus. Scientists subsequently assigned it to a new genus,Rungwecebus, named afterMount Rungwe.[2] The kipunji is the first new monkey genus discovered sinceAllen's swamp monkey in 1923.[5]
Zoologists were initially skeptical of the existence of the kipunji until its discovery, as traditional tales of theNyakyusa people described the monkey as both real and mythical.[6] It has a unique call, described as a 'honk-bark',[7] which distinguishes it from its relatives, thegrey-cheeked mangabey and theblack crested mangabey, whose calls are described as 'whoop-gobbles'.
The kipunji's relatively longpelage is light or medium brown with white on the end of the tail and theventrum. The pelage close to the hands and feet tends to be a medium to dark brown. Its hands, feet, and face are all black. These primates do not appear to show anysexual dimorphism in relation to pelage coloration. Adult male kipunjis have been observed at a typical length of 85–90 cm (33–35 in) and are estimated to weigh between 10 and 16 kg (22 and 35 lb).[4][2] One feature, in combination with their pelage coloration, that helps to separate kipunjis from theirCercocebus andLophocebus relatives is the broad crest of hair on the crown of their heads.[2]
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Around 1,100 of the animals live in the highland Ndundulu Forest Reserve, adjacent toUdzungwa Mountains National Park, and in a disjunct population 250 miles away onMount Rungwe and inKitulo National Park, which is adjacent to it. The forest at Rungwe is highly degraded, and fragmentation of the remaining forest threatens to split that population into three smaller populations. The Ndundulu forest is in better shape, but the population there is smaller.
The kipunji is classified as anendangered species on theIUCN Red List.[3] It was included in the list of "The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates" in 2006 and 2008.[8]
Its range is restricted to 17.7 km2 (6.8 sq mi) of forest in the two isolated regions, the Ndundulu forest and the Rungwe-Livingstone forest.[9]
To combat the endangered status of the Kipunji, efforts to protect the species are significantly enhanced when local commutes surrounding their habitat are aware of their significance and are actively engaged in protecting them. Due to recent conservation efforts, as of 2022, the Kipunji population has increased by 65% and threats due to human activity have decreased by 81%.[10]
The kipunji faces multiple threats, primarily stemming from human activities such aslogging,charcoal making, illegal hunting, and unmanaged resource extraction have been commonplace in the Rungwe-Kitulo forests, leading tohabitat fragmentation and degradation. The narrow corridors linking different forest sections are encroached by farmers, further exacerbating the fragmentation of population units. Kipunjis are hunted using log traps and dogs, mainly during January to April in retribution for crop-raiding incidents. BothKilombero Nature Forest Reserve andMount Rungwe Nature Reserves lack adequate management resources to counter these threats.[3]
