Regional golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti) conservation action plan 2023–2028

The golden monkey, Cercopithecus mitis kandti, an Endangered subspecies of blue monkey, is found in only two small populations in the central part of the Albertine Rift region in Central/East Africa. Since the 1950s, the habitat of golden monkeys has been lost or degraded in the Virunga massif (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda), including a reduction of approximately 50% in the Volcanoes National Park (VNP), the Rwandan part of the Virunga massif, and by a staggering 98% in the Gishwati forest located in Rwanda. As human disturbance continues within the golden monkey habitat, pressure on the remaining small and fragmented populations may result in the extinction of this subspecies. Consequently, a regional conservation action plan was developed in collaboration with conservationists, park managers, researchers, and local communities from the three countries where golden monkeys occur to address threats to the species.