Baboons (Papio ursinas) – From the Magaliesberg to the Midlands

What is it about nonhuman primates that they are capable of transforming our perception? “I was only truly happy when I was with the baboons. They were my emotional center and an important part of me remained with them even if I was physically distant”; wrote anthropologist Shirley Strum who had been studying olive baboons … Continue reading Baboons (Papio ursinas) – From the Magaliesberg to the Midlands

Laura Brown Rodgers – Bringing Light

The work of the Samango Monkey Research Project, midlands KZN would not be possible if it were not for the generous contribution of philanthropist Laura Brown Rodgers of the Laura Brown Rodgers Community Fund of New Jersey in the USA. Laura is one of those beautiful people who shines light and brings hope to what … Continue reading Laura Brown Rodgers – Bringing Light

Walking Wild – The Samango Safari

The Samango Safari includes a hike through indigenous mistbelt forest and grasslands, beginning at Lemonwood Cottages on the edge of the forest in the Dargle Valley conservancy in the midlands of Kwazulu Natal.

Can the Vervet Monkey and Samango Monkey Hybridise?

The blonde samangos of Cape Vidal were first brought to my attention when reading  Thomas M Butynski and Yvonne A de Jong’s 2009 paper: Three Sykes's Monkey Cercopithecus mitis × Vervet Monkey Chlorocebus pygerythrus Hybrids in Kenya. While some scientists have suggested that these blonde samangos are samango monkey X vervet monkey hybrids, Butynski and de Jong suggest that they are more likely to be erythristic or partially albino.

Given our research to date on the alliances formed by vervet monkeys and samango monkeys in the midlands, and noting this phenomenon elsewhere, the feasibility of hybridisation between these two intergeneric species that are remarkably different as far as the amount of chromosomes they have, their behaviour and the different ecological niches they inhabit is never far from my mind.

It is important to note that in the unlikely event that hybridisation may occur between these species that are genetically distant, a hybrid would probably be infertile. However, such a phenomenon would offer valuable information about populations.

Allies – Samangos and Vervets

The vervet monkey has a multi-male social system in comparison to the samango monkey’s one male social system hence one reason for the two troops foraging together may be that the multi-male vervet troop brings added protection to the samango troop which consists of adult females, one male and their youngsters.