I am conducting my PhD research in Primate Conservation at Oxford Brookes University, UK. I am focused on the Chlorocebus genus and the conflict that arises when these adaptable monkeys live in close proximity to humans. Part of my research consists of developing distribution maps that highlight areas of potential conflict between humans and vervets. Any locality data would be greatly appreciated.
http://www.vervet.org
Thanks very much for your response Andreas. I have downloaded the records from GBIF and other museums that make such data available. I have also carried out an exhaustive literature search. Now my mission is to get in touch with researchers in the field or other interested parties to compile as large a dataset as possible. Thank you for your suggestion of freegisdata.rtwilson.com as I have not looked here yet. All the best.
Aoife,
Since you are in England, you might look into contacting the BBC about a 2001 documentary entitled "Cheeky Monkey", produced as part of the "Natural World" series ( http://bbcearth.com/programmes/cheeky-monkey ). The documentary is about how vervet monkeys have shown great adaptability to living in peri-urban environments in an d around Durban, South Africa. I remember viewing the show when it aired here in Canada; I recall that there was a local group of volunteers who responded to cases where vervets and humans (or their dogs) had come into conflict -- might be worth trying to establish contact with folks in Durban (for twhich the BBC might have contact info). Just a thought... All the best with your doctoral research!
Livingstone or Chirundu areas of Zambia have a huge number of these primates, try travelling for personal experience.
Trudy Turner might be a person worth contacting. Their distribution is so broad, however, that this will be no easy task. One sees vervets around humans throughout much of South Africa for instance.
Thanks very much Matt. I've recently been in touch with Trudy and have made some good progress through direct contact with several other field researchers.
Hi Aoife,
I don't know if you have found this but I just came across this report about wildlife conflict in the Vwaza Reserve in Malawi: http://www.cps.ceu.hu/publications/anthony/2009/5092
Vervets are recorded present there, although in their analysis the authors classified monkeys and baboons under the same category. It might be worth contacting the authors (Dr. Brandon Anthony and Jolly Wasambo) for further information. There are also people working in the reserve and this is their website http://www.nyika-vwaza-trust.org/index.html
Also try: http://www.wildsolutions.nl/
This site will give you information on vervet distributions in East Africa.
- Badges
- Science topic