Karura Forest #6: Monkey Business
The cache, a small cylindrical tablet pot, is hidden behind some bark pieces in a small hole in a tree 2-3m off the trail on the north side. Note: Elephant Guys n Girls' GC427YZ Karura Cache 1 is 235m west of here
For background information on Karura Forest including access, fees, features, a detailed trail map and useful links, see GC4PD3V Karura Forest #1: Intro, Info & Entry
One of the mammals you are most likely to see (and/or hear) on your walk through the forest is the Sykes' monkey - also known as the white-throated monkey (guenon) or Samango monkey. They are Old World monkeys occuring in 12 subspecies, the local one being Mt Kenya Syke
s' monkey (Cercopithecus albogularis kolbi). They inhabit rain forests and montane bamboo forests throughout east, central and southern Africa. They are small, 49-66cm not including the tail, with females weighing 4.3kg and males 7.9kg. They are long-tailed monkeys with a grizzled brown, short coat, a bluish grey mantle over the shoulders, a black belly and limbs and a dark face with a pale yellowish 'diadem' on the forehead.
They feed in the morning and late afternoon in the forest canopy but they descend to lower levels during the hottest parts of the day. They are food generalists, eating bark, fungi, lichen, leaves, fruits, seeds, flowers, nectar, grass, insects, invertebrates (slugs and worms) and occasionally eggs, young birds and small mammals (includi
ng bush babies). They have cheek pouches to carry food while foraging . . .
(The story continues with More Monkey Business GC4XG3K )