Golden monkeys are the only other primate living in the Virunga forests with mountain gorillas, and as an endemic and endangered species, they are also a major focus of our daily protection and scientific work. Unlike the gorillas, they live in much larger groups and spend much of their time high up in the trees. One of the groups we monitor – called Kabatwa – has more than 200 members!
Golden monkey society is quite different from that of the gorillas we know so well. In golden monkeys, females stay in the group in which they were born their entire lives and males come and go. As a result, female golden monkeys often are the ones who defend the group’s territory against outsiders, while males will try to ensure that no other male approaches for mating attempts. During the breeding season, males will come into the group from the outside to try to mate.