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Citation

Dempsey A, Fernandez D, McCabe G, Abernethy K, Abwe EE, Gonedele Bi S, Kivai SM, Ngoubangoye B, Maisels F, Matsuda Goodwin R, McGraw WS, McLester E, ter Meulen T, Oates JF & Paddock CL (2024) Dempsey et al 2024 Cercocebus and Mandrillus conservation action plan 2024–2028. IUCN. IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group. https://doi.org/10.2305/TKFB8167

Abstract
Collectively, Cercocebus and Mandrillus include nine species and two subspecies of African monkeys: seven species of Cercocebus and two of Mandrillus, including two drill subspecies. Together, they represent some of the least studied and hence least known of the Afro-Eurasian Primates. Although they have a wide range across Africa, extending from the Upper Guinean Forests of Senegal in the west to the Tana River Delta in Kenya, they are also some of the most threatened taxa. In 2016, the nine species were reassessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission Primate Specialist Group. The outcome saw all but one of the nine species classified as threatened, with five being listed as Endangered and one as Critically Endangered. The species are at risk of extinction due to several threats, with commercial and subsistence hunting being a primary factor affecting seven of the nine taxa; those found in West and Central Africa. Hunting is mostly driven by increased access to previously inaccessible forested areas. This is due to a growing public and private road network, which facilitates both hunting itself and the export of wild meat to populated areas, where there is high demand for primate meat as a delicacy and/or the need for inexpensive, easily sourced protein. This primary threat is compounded by the destruction and fragmentation of habitat, the second main threat to these taxa. This is driven by global market demand for commodities, such as timber, rubber, palm oil; as well as local demands for natural resources, including firewood and charcoal. Small-scale agriculture, extractive industries such as mining, and the expansion of new and existing settlements in areas where human populations are increasing, are also drivers. Given the limited knowledge and threatened conservation status of most of these Cercocebus and Mandrillus species, there is an urgent need for a collaborative, region-wide approach to catalyse and facilitate efforts to ensure the protection of these taxa and their habitats. To address the need to for such a plan, the leading editors and contributors, which include experts from academic institutions, zoological societies, local and international conservation organisations, and national governments have drawn from their firsthand experience to identify a series of concrete conservation interventions for each taxon. In addition, each species had an assigned Species Champion and that Champion was tasked with pulling together key knowledge holders, including representatives from local communities, to develop feasible actions for the 5-year plan. Thus this plan includes taxon-specific conservation actions, devised under six overarching themes: increase engagement and local livelihood support, reduce knowledge gaps, promote habitat restoration, raise the profile of Cercocebus and Mandrillus taxa, enhance protection, and respond to public health needs for the neighboring human populations. To ensure that the Plan would be as effective as possible in its 5-year implementation period, it was agreed the actions were to be specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound, and that key conservation priority areas within each of the countries where these taxa are found should be identified. This would enable conservation efforts to be focused in areas able to maintain viable populations. To avoid repeating conservation interventions and to encourage collaboration, the Plan worked closely with the Red Colobus Conservation Network. The Plan indicates any crossover with actions identified in the red colobus action plan, as well as crossover with other plans for primates that have range overlap with Mandrillus and Cercocebus taxa. Estimated costs were attributed to each action and summarised for each taxon. We did not include the costs of long-term, recurrent, or intangible recommended actions, which are difficult to estimate and require high levels of funding. The Plan also includes individual country summaries that can be easily distributed and provides a concise and accessible overview of a country’s key conservation areas for the Cercocebus and Mandrillus taxa found there. It also includes the conservation interventions needed to ensure their survival. We hope this Plan will raise the profile of the Cercocebus and Mandrillus species, encourage collaboration amongst conservation practitioners, local communities, government agencies, and other invested parties, and ultimately prevent the extinction of some of the most amazing primate species on the planet.

Keywords
Primates; Conservation; Species conservation; Conservation planning; Action plans

Notes
Additional authors: Angeliki Savvantoglu, Edward D Wiafe