UK Zookeepers Help Save Monkeys Through Frontline Conservation Work in Africa

Two keepers from Drusillas Park in East Sussex have returned from Kenya after supporting frontline primate conservation work with Colobus Conservation in Diani Beach.

The two-week expedition highlighted the growing role zoos can play in supporting wildlife conservation beyond their own gates; not only through breeding programmes, but by contributing practical animal welfare expertise directly within species’ native habitats.

Zookeeper Emily Robinson and Zoo Section Leader Sam Kenward travelled to the Kenyan coast to work alongside the Colobus Conservation team, which rescues and rehabilitates injured, sick and displaced primates while also restoring habitats and promoting coexistence between local communities and wildlife.

The trip was funded by Drusillas Conservation in Action, the Sussex zoo’s conservation initiative, which helps support wildlife conservation projects around the world through grants, partnerships and field-based support.

During their time in Kenya, Sam and Emily assisted with a wide range of conservation activities, including the construction and maintenance of “colobridges” - aerial bridges installed above busy roads to allow monkeys to cross safely between fragmented forest habitats.

The bridges are a vital intervention in the Diani Beach region, where monkeys are frequently killed or injured by traffic and electrocution from power lines. Traversing the main coastal road can be a matter of life or death for them, with an average of 55 primates injured or killed by vehicles each year. Thankfully, Colobus Conservation has now installed more than 40 bridges across the region, but each bridge requires ongoing maintenance and repair:

“The bridges are made from durable chains and hosepipes and usually last around five years,” explained Sam. “Their main purpose is to create safe crossings over roads and power lines, reducing the number of electrocutions and road accidents affecting local primates. The team also work closely with local power companies to insulate electrical cables too.”

The realities of frontline conservation became immediately apparent during the visit. In just one week, the team responded to two separate reports of monkeys electrocuted by power lines.

One monkey’s injuries were sadly too severe, and the animal had to be euthanised. However, a female Angolan colobus monkey was successfully monitored overnight before being returned to her troop the following day, an experience Emily described as one of the most rewarding moments of the trip:

“We watched her return to her troop and she was immediately accepted back again, which was incredible to see. That is not always guaranteed with primates, so to witness a successful reunion like that was really special,” she said.

“The team at Colobus Conservation genuinely valued our input and involved us in the decision-making process throughout rescues and rehabilitation cases. Through our work at Drusillas, we have a lot of experience in animal husbandry and welfare, so we were able to share practical ideas that could help reduce stress and improve recovery for rescued animals.”

One such example involved adding natural vegetation and enrichment to the temporary holding area used for the injured colobus monkey overnight.

“Colobus monkeys are highly social animals, and they do not cope well in isolation,” Sam added. “Providing vegetation and familiar surroundings helped keep her calmer and more comfortable during rehabilitation.”

“Because wild Angolan colobus monkeys often have a poor prognosis once removed from their natural forest habitat, it really drove home one of Colobus Conservation’s core priorities: prevention rather than reaction. Initiatives such as building colobridges and insulating electrical lines arguably have the greatest long-term conservation impact in the region, helping to prevent tragic accidents before they happen. “

Another key focus for Colobus Conservation is community education, recognising that engaging and educating local people is essential to protecting native wildlife and habitats. As well as teaching communities about the importance of environmental conservation, the organisation also provides practical support, including offering locally beneficial tree species for people to plant and grow to help restore habitats for wildlife, particularly colobus monkeys.

“They also run eco tours at the Rescue Centre, which I was lucky enough to be involved in,” said Emily. “I helped show visitors from local communities and cities like Nairobi around the centre, explaining the work Colobus Conservation does to protect primates across the region. We received such a warm welcome from local people - all the children waved at us as we drove through the villages in the Colobus Conservation truck!”

“There is sometimes conflict between local people and monkeys, but thanks to the work Colobus Conservation has done within local communities, perception is changing and more people now want to help protect them.”

Emily and Sam also supported the rehabilitation of Penzi, a young vervet monkey rescued from the illegal pet trade. The infant required bottle feeding every three to four hours around the clock; including overnight care provided by the Drusillas keepers. Once fully rehabilitated, Penzi will eventually be introduced to other rescued vervet monkeys to form a troop before being released back into the wild together.

Saumu Mohamed, Communications & Fundraising Manager from Colobus Conservation said, “I would like to express our sincere appreciation for the excellent work Sam and Emily have been doing on our behalf. The trip was a huge success.”

“From the feedback I’ve received from the team, they are among the best volunteers we have ever hosted at the facility. They were incredibly industrious, and the team learned a great deal from them. Ezekiel, one of our animal care assistants, specifically mentioned how they actively shared suggestions on improving our approaches to animal rescue and care. This kind of exchange of knowledge between the two teams is exactly what we had hoped to achieve through the partnership between Colobus Conservation and Drusillas.”

The conservation trip also gave Sam and Emily a rare opportunity to witness some of Kenya’s threatened wildlife in their natural habitat, including a giant ground pangolin, a species listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List:

“To see these animals in the wild was incredibly emotional,” said Emily. “Species like pangolins face enormous pressures, but there is real hope thanks to the dedication of conservation charities and local communities working to protect them. Organisations like Colobus Conservation are making a real difference every single day, and to have played even a small part in that work has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”

Sam added, “We’re hoping to stay in touch with the Colobus Conservation team so we can continue receiving updates on the monkeys and help share their stories. In the future, it would also be fantastic to introduce our very own ‘colobridge’ within the colobus habitat at Drusillas, allowing visitors to see first-hand how these structures help monkeys move safely through their environment and save lives in places like Diani.”

The expedition forms part of Drusillas’ wider commitment to in situ conservation projects around the world. Alongside supporting Colobus Conservation, the zoo contributes to initiatives across Africa, Southeast Asia and Central America that focus on habitat protection, wildlife rescue, conservation education and human-wildlife coexistence.

In Indonesia, Drusillas supports Selamatkan Yaki and its Monkey Guard programme in Tangkoko National Park, helping reduce conflict between local communities and critically endangered macaques by monitoring forest boundaries, deterring crop-raiding and removing poaching equipment.

The zoo also works alongside The Civet Project and Dudley Zoo to support the Civet One Health programme, which aims to end the cruel practice of civet coffee farming in Southeast Asia while helping reverse declines in vulnerable binturong populations.

In Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, Drusillas has supported Maasai communities for decades through projects including school construction, girls’ education initiatives and borehole repairs that provide water for both local people and wildlife during dry seasons.

Beyond field conservation, Drusillas contributes tissue, reproductive and cellular samples to international biobanks including the EAZA Biobank, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland Biobank and Nature’s SAFE, helping preserve critical genetic material for future conservation efforts.

For Drusillas, the Kenya expedition demonstrates the increasingly diverse role zoos can play in global conservation efforts. Modern zoos contribute far beyond traditional breeding programmes - from funding field conservation and training wildlife professionals, to rehabilitation support, conservation research and public education reaching millions of visitors each year.

Located just off the A27 in Alfriston, Drusillas Park is open from 10am each day. For more information please telephone 01323 874100 or visit www.drusillas.co.uk