Blue Monkey Profile: The Forest Guenon of Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania

Despite its name, the blue monkey is not truly blue. Its grey-olive coat can appear bluish in forest shade, and the effect gives the animal its name. It lives in troops, forages through trees at all levels and makes a surprising amount of noise, with soft grunts, loud calls and the rustle of fruit-eating.

This profile covers identification, behaviour, threats and the best places to see blue monkeys on a trip to East Africa.

This guide is part of our animals of Uganda and East Africa guide. When you are ready to plan, see our Uganda safari packages or the Ameera Africa Safaris Uganda tours homepage.

Identification

Blue monkeys have dark, grey-olive fur, a darker face and limbs, and a distinctive pale patch or crescent on the forehead in many forms. Males are noticeably larger than females, and both have long tails held in an arc behind them. In Kenya and parts of Tanzania, the closely related Sykes's monkey carries a white throat and chest bib and a white brow band. Blue monkeys are often confused with red-tailed monkeys, which have a bright reddish tail and a white nose spot, and with vervets, which prefer open habitats and have a paler grey coat.

Habitat

These monkeys occupy a wide range of forest, from mid-altitude rainforest to high montane forest and bamboo zones, and they can live in forest fragments, plantations and gardens near forest edges. They need dependable fruit and leaf supply but are far more adaptable than many forest primates. In East Africa they occur in western and central Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya's highland forests and coast, and across much of Tanzania, including forest near Lake Manyara and the Usambara and Udzungwa ranges.

Diet and Foraging

Blue monkeys eat fruit when available and shift to young leaves, flowers, seeds and insects when it is not. They are important seed dispersers because they carry fruit in cheek pouches and drop seeds some distance from the parent tree. In some areas they raid farm crops, which causes friction with neighbours. They forage in the middle layers of the canopy and rarely descend, although they will use forest edges, roads and clearings when feeding is good.

Social Structure

A typical troop contains one dominant adult male, several related females and their offspring, and groups of a few dozen animals are possible. Females form the stable core, while young males leave to join other groups or form bachelor parties. Troops often mix with other monkeys in the canopy, including red-tailed monkeys and colobus, which may give extra alarm calls against eagles and leopards. Grooming, soft grunts and a loud rolling call from the male help the group stay in contact in thick forest.

Threats and Conservation

Blue monkeys are widespread and not considered globally threatened, but some local populations and subspecies are at risk because of forest loss and fragmentation. They suffer from snares, road traffic and conflict with farmers where forests meet gardens. Predators include crowned eagles, leopards and chimpanzees. The best protection is intact forest, which is why national parks and community buffers are so valuable. See the responsible travel guide.

Where to See Blue Monkeys

In Uganda, they are regularly seen in Kibale, Bwindi, Mgahinga, Semuliki and the Kyambura area. In Rwanda, Nyungwe is an excellent site, described in the Nyungwe guide. In Tanzania, Lake Manyara has a notable population in its groundwater forest, and Kenya's coast and highland forests offer more sightings. Many sightings happen by chance during gorilla and chimpanzee treks.

Viewing Tips

Watch fruiting trees such as figs, since they draw monkeys through the morning. Move slowly, keep still when they look at you and avoid feeding, which changes behaviour and spreads disease. A medium zoom lens and good light give lively portraits. Learn more in safari photography tips.

Related Species

Compare the blue monkey with the colobus, the vervet, the golden monkey and the other forest species in Uganda primates and monkeys.

Planning a Uganda safari? Send us your dates and we will build the route, permits and transport around what you want to see.

Related Tours, Guides and Resources

• Ameera Africa Safaris homepage: Uganda safaris, tours and holidays
• Uganda safari packages
• Uganda travel guide
• How to book a Uganda safari
• Plan your safari with our team