Creators

By:
Tamara Zallew
Brianna Neri
Natalia Zaya

The Lovely Golden Monkeys

The Golden Monkeys are a species of Old World monkey found in:

• The Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, including four national parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga and Kahuzi-Biéga, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. It is restricted to highland forest, especially near bamboo. Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys only live in the forests of China.

The golden monkey has a diet that consists primarily of:

• Young bamboo leaves, fruits, bamboo branchlets, bamboo shoots, invertebrates, flowers, and shrubs. But Golden Monkeys are opportunistic feeders and diet can easily be influenced by the availability of fruit. When ripe fruits are available during the seasons then the monkeys eat more fruit. They also feed on various flowers and shrubs when they are available. The most frequently eaten is Bamboo and pupae of lepidopterous larvae picked from leaves.

Golden Monkeys behave in an amazing way:

• They can travel in different group sizes, and have been seen in small groups of three up to large groups of 62 monkeys. The monkeys often sleep in small groups of four, at the top of bamboo plants.  They will often use a dense bamboo plant, or a combination of several bamboo plants that weave together to make a sufficient foundation for sleep.

How The Golden Monkeys are endangered:

• Since long ago, it has been hunted for its fur. Now the decreasing forest is the major concern for the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey. These monkeys are resistant to cold and lives in the second coldest habitat of all primates. The Golden Snub-nosed Monkey keeps itself warm with a coat of beautiful golden fur. People have been hunting it to make coats with the beautiful, warm fur for themselves. The greatest concern for the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey is the disappearing forest. In fact, the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey and the Giant Panda are actually sharing the same living space.