Vervet Monkeys - The Least Concern Primates

The vervet monkeys are charasmatic, clever, and endearing. Many tourists who have visited reserves and National Parks in sub Saharan Africa may have encountered them at a picnic table causing mischief. They have been studied in the wild in the Amboseli National Park in Kenya since the 1960's. Their vocalisations are famous. There is many an evolution and anthropology paper that is concerned with their semi-arboreal ways and the complexity of their calls.
They are also on the frontline of human-wildlife conflict. They are often considered to be pests. But their numbers are decreasing. They have been lost from former ranges in West Africa and are pushed into encounters with humans due to increasing development in South Africa. They are considered to be of little conservation value because they are perceived as common. They are not at a critical stage where they require interventions to prevent an impending extinction. This is not to say that they do not require our attention. Proactive conservation efforts could prevent them from becoming one of these critical concerns.

7 month old male infant vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus)
by Aoife Healy (Website author)