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Articles

Contemplating Colobus

Dawn Starin reports on the state of colobus civilization in a small Gambian forest.

No matter how deep I am in the forest the sounds of humanity seep through, constantly reminding me that the Abuko Nature Reserve – a mosaic of habitats, a home for the endangered red colobus monkeys and various other species – is simply a tiny forest, smaller than Central Park in New York or Hyde Park or Hampstead Heath in London.

Dogs barking, cocks crowing, donkeys braying, grain being pounded, axes being wielded: the sounds of the bordering villages come wafting across the savannah and deep into the riverine forest. On Sunday mornings I hear church bells ringing and choirs singing. On Fridays at two in the afternoon I hear Muslim prayers being recited over a loudspeaker. And on most holidays and weekend afternoons I hear radios and cassettes; and drums, whistles and cheering when football matches are held.

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