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Tanzania Journal: Day Six

DAY SIX: CHASING SANJE MANGABEYS

Prior to coming to Tanzania, I knew I had posed a ridiculous question when I asked CEPF Grant Director John Watkin, with some apprehension, whether my trip to the Udzungwas would involve any steep hiking that might prove a challenge for my bad leg. I mean, they’re mountains after all. So I should have recognized the dubiousness of his assurance that there would be nothing of that nature. There was, of course, a bit of that as we went to the Udzungwa National Park seeking video and photos of a habituated group of Sanje mangabeys, an Endangered species endemic to the Udzungwas.

I weighed whether to send intrepid Mr. Savy out alone with the guides in pursuit of images rather than going myself, but when we were told the mangabeys were hanging out fairly close to the road, I decided to try it. The hike started out easily enough, with only a few tricky maneuvers over streams or big steps up over rocks, and I was feeling confident. But around the time we came upon the mangabeys, and I got a taste of the quality images the lounging primates might provide, they seemed to start moving up the mountain. I’d just start to get the video camera going and on the tripod, and the guides would urge me up another steep stretch to a much better view. It was very muddy, and with no substantial established trail, the trek became more challenging. Once I had gotten a few shots of the mangabeys relaxing, grooming and playing, I considered asking to go back, knowing that each increment of upward hiking increased the possibility that I would not be able to get back down. It’s a lovely forest, but I didn’t want to set up residence. The lure of more and better photos, however, won the day.

And happily so, as it was wonderful to watch the mangabeys go about their daily business, grooming and eating. There appeared to be several young ones, some playing, some climbing up vines, some still clinging to mom’s belly. We also got many close-up glimpses of the adults in the group, including the top male.

VIDEO: The Sanje mangabey

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After spending a few hours trekking after the mangabeys, the dying battery on my camera led us to start the challenging process of getting back out of the forest. “Pole, pole” (slowly) was the theme of the descent. The ranger with us kindly saved me from myself by carefully easing me down the mountainside, using his leg to stop my frequent mud (and elephant dropping) slides.

We eventually made it down and out to the road, much to my relief, and walked along the road for a while to catch our ride. During the walk, we chatted with the guide from the community who had helped us on the trek. He is one of several community residents who are employed through the habituated mangabey project, which was led by primatologist Trevor Jones and supported by CEPF to encourage ecotourism. The young guide is studying wildlife biology at a private university nearby in hopes of becoming a ranger, and the money he makes as a guide is helping to fund his studies.

Also during our stroll, we came upon an elephant track in the mud at the side of the road, an indicator that elephants are traveling outside the park to nearby communities at night to forage for food. It’s a dangerous habit for both the elephants and the human residents of the area, as the chances of violent conflict between the two increase.

After we were retrieved by Francesco, and we cleaned up and ate lunch (of chipsi mayai, basically an omelet poured over french fries—good and good for you), I returned to the park to talk with officials about the mangabey project, resulting in an interview with the warden in charge of ecology, Paul Banga. He indicated that the project is starting to draw numbers of tourists, and is boosting the park’s income as well as that of the local guides. The park shares a percentage of its revenue with the surrounding communities, Banga said.

CONNECTIVITY IN THE UDZUNGWAS

I capped off the work day with an interview with our host, Francesco, on his work for the Trento Museum of Natural Sciences studying biodiversity and connectivity of forests in the forest reserves south and southeast of Udzungwa National Park.

Tanzania travel log map

He and his colleagues documented the outstanding levels of biodiversity in these forests, but also increasingly high levels of forest disturbance the further south the reserves went. The study results helped motivating the Tanzanian government to include some of these reserves into the new Kilombero Nature Reserve, affording them a higher level of protection. Unfortunately no action has yet been taken on Udzungwa Scarp, the southernmost and most biodiversity-rich forest, according to Francesco. The study also proposed the establishment of a protected corridor between the Udzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve and the northern network of protected areas, which would create a large swath of protected area running northeast from the scarp through the Udzungwa Mountains National Park. Together with upgrading protection of Uzungwa Scarp, the so-called “Mngeta corridor” is currently on the Tanzanian government’s table for future conservation action.

VIDEO: Udzungwa Mountains Significance for Water & Power

Government action is also hoped for Magombera Forest, located between the Udzungwa Mountains and Selous Game Reserve, where agricultural activity and forest fires have been taking a toll on this small but very rich forest, a remnant of a once continuous cover of lowland forest. Its high levels of biodiversity include a population of about 1,000 Udzungwa red colobus, the other Udzungwa-endemic monkey, which seems to be the highest density anywhere.

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