Rungwecebus

The kipunji (''Rungwecebus kipunji''), also known as the highland mangabey, is a species of Old World monkey that lives in the highland forests of Tanzania. It was independently described by researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of Georgia, and Conservation International, in December 2003 and July 2004, making it the first new African monkey species discovered since 1984. Originally assigned to the genus '' Lophocebus'', genetic and morphological data showed that it is more closely related to the baboons (genus ''Papio'') than to the other mangabeys in the genus ''Lophocebus''. Scientists subsequently assigned it to a new genus, ''Rungwecebus'', named after Mount Rungwe. The kipunji is the first new monkey genus discovered since Allen's swamp monkey in 1923.

Zoologists were initially skeptical of the existence of the kipunji until its discovery, as traditional tales of the Nyakyusa people described the monkey as both real and mythical. It has a unique call, described as a 'honk-bark', which distinguishes it from its relatives, the grey-cheeked mangabey and the black crested mangabey, whose calls are described as 'whoop-gobbles'.

Description

The kipunji's relatively long pelage is light or medium brown with white on the end of the tail and the ventrum. 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 any sexual dimorphism in relation to pelage coloration. Adult male kipunjis have been observed at a typical length of and are estimated to weigh between . One feature, in combination with their pelage coloration, that helps to separate kipunjis from their ''Cercocebus'' and ''Lophocebus'' relatives is the broad crest of hair on the crown of their heads.

Distribution and habitat

Around 2,000 individuals live in Tanzania. There are two populations, one in the highland Ndundulu forest in Kilombero Nature Reserve, adjacent to Udzungwa Mountains National Park, and another in a disjunct population 250 miles away on Mount Rungwe and in Kitulo 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.

Conservation

The kipunji is classified as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List. It was included in the list of " The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates" in 2006 and 2008.

Its range is restricted to of forest in the two isolated regions, the Ndundulu forest and the Rungwe-Livingstone forest.

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%.

Threats

The kipunji faces multiple threats, primarily stemming from human activities such as logging

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