Golden Monkey - Couple -Rwanda - Virunga - Forest - Mount Visoke

[Claude Ostfeld]

The Golden Monkey (Cercopithecus kandti) can only be found in area of the Virunga volcano chain (on the border of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, south western Uganda and northwest Rwanda) and it inhabits a small area which often overlaps the territory of the Mountain Gorilla.

The Golden Monkey lives in the highland forest area (Starting at 2,500 mt - 8,200 ft - up to 3,500 mt - 11,500 ft) and always near where bamboo grows which is one of its main sources of food. They also eat insects.

This species was thought to be a subspecies of the Blue Monkey but the Golden Monkey has a golden-orange patch on its upper flanks and back. The Golden Monkey is considered an endangered species (IUCN Red List).

The conditions in the Visoke Forest were awful. Over 90% humidity, fastidious insects, even darker than the two locations where I saw the Mountain Gorillas.

NIKON D700 on monopod
Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8D IF-ED
Exposure Time: 1/40.00
Exposure Bias: 0.00 EV
Flash Fired: No
Focal Length (mm): 200.00
F Number: 3.20
Exposure Program: Program Normal
ISO Speed: 1600
Exposure Mode: Auto
White Balance: Auto
Continuous autofocus
Flash Mode: Did not fire
Focus Distance: 4.47 m
Date Time Original: 2008:09:19 09:25:32

[Harshad Barve]

very expressive eyes here , VWD in given condition
TFS

[Todd Frost]

One I have not seen. Tough conditions and as Harshad has mentioned, well done. Love the eyes.
TFS
Todd

[Robert Amoruso]

Thanks for all the details on the species. Looks like a hard place to photograph but you got those eyes just right. Nice work on this elusive species and tough conditions.

[Ken Watkins]

Given the conditions this is great.

Looks very similar in body shape and form the the Sykes (Blue) Monkey, but it is certainly not RAF Grey.