Primates in Peril

Roloway Monkey
Cercopithecus diana roloway (Schreber, 1774)
Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire
(2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014)
W. Scott McGraw & John F. Oates
Roloway monkey (right) (Cercopithecus diana roloway) and Diana monkey (left) (Cercopithecus diana diana)
(Illustrations: Stephen D. Nash)
There are two subspecies of Cercopithecus diana, both have failed to confirm the presence of these monkeys in
highly attractive, arboreal monkeys that inhabit the any reserves in western Ghana, including Bia National
Upper Guinean forests of West Africa (Grubb et al. Park, Krokosua Hills Forest Reserve, Subri River Forest
2003). The roloway subspecies is distinguished by its Reserve and Dadieso Forest Reserve (Oates 2006;
broad white brow line, long white beard and yellow Gatti 2010; Buzzard and Parker 2012; Wiafe 2013),
thighs. Groves (2001) considers the two subspecies to although it is possible that the Ankasa Conservation
be sufficiently distinct to be regarded as full species. Of Area still contains a few individuals (Magnuson 2003;
the two forms, the roloway, which is known from Ghana Gatti 2010). Community-controlled forests along
and central and eastern Côte d’Ivoire, is more seriously the Tano River (referred to as the “Kwabre Forest”)
threatened with extinction; it is rated as Endangered in in the far southwestern corner of the country are the
the current IUCN Red List (Oates et al. 2008), but its only place in Ghana at which any roloways have been
status should now be upgraded to Critically Endangered. reported as seen by scientists or conservationists in
the last decade. Kwabre consists of patches of swamp
Roloway monkeys are upper-canopy specialists that forest along the lower Tano River, adjacent to the Tanoé
prefer undisturbed forest habitat. Destruction and forest in Côte d’Ivoire. Surveys of these forests have
degradation of their habitat and relentless hunting for been conducted under the auspices of the West African
the bushmeat trade have reduced their population to Primate Conservation Action organization since 2011,
small, isolated pockets. Miss Waldron’s red colobus and several sightings of roloway groups have been
(Procolobus badius waldroni) once inhabited many of made, along with mona monkeys, spot-nosed monkeys,
the same forest areas as the roloway, but is now almost white-naped mangabeys and olive colobus (WAPCA
certainly extinct (Oates, 2011). Unless more effective 2012, 2014; Dempsey 2014). WAPCA has launched a
conservation action is taken, there is a strong possibility community-based conservation project with villages
that the roloway monkey will also disappear in the near around these forests with the aim of establishing a
future.
Kwabre Community Resource Management Area.
Meanwhile, further efforts should be made to ascertain
Over the last 40 years roloway monkeys have been whether any roloway monkeys still survive in the
steadily extirpated in Ghana. Several recent surveys Ankasa, because this site has significant conservation
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