Fees and Dates

Start Dates: Jan 2nd, Feb 2nd, Mar 4th, Apr 3rd, May 3rd, Jun 2nd, Jul 3rd, Aug 2nd, Sep 1st, Oct 1st, Nov 1st, Dec 2nd

Please note that you can join any project for any length of time, however we recommend (from experience) that you should not stay longer than 4-6 weeks at a project. Should you wish to longer than rather select a few projects and even try different regions in Africa ( Kenya , South Africa and Namibia ). This allows you to enjoy the different cultures and people in these areas.

What does program fee cover?

•  Airport reception
•  First night of hotel stay in tourist hotel (not food)
•  Transfer to project (mostly by local city liner or project vehicle)
•  Introductory training before the start of project
•  Accommodation
•  Food
•  Transfer back to airport
•  Insurance

Additional cost to volunteer

•  All room/food before and after program
•  Personal expenses
•  International airfare
•  Visa
•  Immunization
•  Laundry
•  Communication

About the Colubus Monkey

The beautiful black fur of a colubus strongly contrasts to the long white mantle, whiskers and beard around the face and the bushy white "horsetail." The monkeys are difficult to observe as they normally spend their time high up in trees. Some 115 to 130 feet above the ground, they blend in well with their surroundings.

Habitat

Two types of black and white colobus monkeys are found in Kenya : those that inhabit coastal forests and those in inland, high-country areas. Red colobus monkeys are also found in East Africa , but are quite rare and are currently endangered. Two other types of colubus monkeys in Africa are the black and the olive. The colobus live in all types of closed forests, including montane and gallery forests. Bamboo stands are also popular dwelling spots for the colobus.

The colobus is the most arboreal of all African monkeys and rarely descend to the ground. Traveling among the trees, the monkeys use branches as trampolines, jumping up and down on them to gain lift-off for leaps of up to 50 feet. They rise up and then drop downward, falling with outstretched arms and legs until they reach another branch. Their mantle hair and tails are believed to act as a parachute during these long leaps.

Black and white colobus live in troops (probably made up of smaller family groups) that commonly number up to 25 individuals, though in Rwanda troops as large as 200 are known. Their home ranges are clearly defined, and their size is influenced by the number of monkeys in the troop, the abundance of food and the level of fighting with neighboring troops. The monkeys make croaking and rattling vocal sounds to help mark their territories. A strong male acts as the lead animal - threatening enemies and, if necessary, covers the retreat of the troop. A true ranking order does not seem to exist.

Predators

At one time these monkeys were hunted excessively for their beautiful fur, leading to their extermination in some areas. Their skins have been used to make dance costumes, hats and capes since early times. Today, the greatest threat to their continued existence comes from loss of habitat when forests are cut down. In 1973, Tanzania had some 200,000 skins ready for export to Europe .