Updates
A new baby and November 2, 2025 update
The new baby
Meanwhile, despite the continuous heavy rain, the new wooden cages are almost finished, Solomon reports. This is a photo taken early last week.
The funds are making this all happen! Thank you again so much.
Look at this amazing photo taken from a hide that Solomon has built very close to where he puts out the green maize, potatoes and carrots – the bait food to habituate the Colobus monkeys at Kitiri, Kinangop. Just look at the one-week-old baby! How wonderful it is to see this miracle baby as Solomon has noticed a massive decline in the number of infant and juvenile Colobus. Solomon is going to do everything he can to keep that baby alive and thriving. He says there have been many days of heavy rain. This is a huge risk he says for those babies as they slip and fall so easily from the wet branches and wet bodies of their parents. Solomon is working hard on this group of six individuals – one male, four females and the baby. He says that if he feeds them regularly, they will stay very close because there is food and they will not be inclined to climb into the slippery, wet trees to move elsewhere in search of food.
It’s been a good week as Solomon has seen that this group has taken to the ‘bait’ laid out. Because Solomon is ‘feeding’ them, they are not stealing any crops. In turn the community are very happy with Solomon’s work and will leave the Colobus alone he says. He had a meeting with the community to explain his work and plan.
There are four groups that are critically endangered. The second endangered group is in the vicinity of Kinangop and Solomon’s helper is guarding the other two groups at Kipipiri further north. Next week Solomon will collect the data on exactly where they are and count how many individuals are in each group and what is the composition of the group. This data will be presented in the form of a report for the KWS and after that, Solomon anticipates getting an appointment with the Senior KWS Wardens to get the permission to start the relocation process.
October Update
Oct 21, 2025
Two weeks ago, Solomon was in the forest struggling up a steep muddy slope from the river following a group of Colobus when he slipped. He badly damaged his hip and elbow but after a week’s rest and a few visits to the doctor and some heafty injections, he is feeling better.
Next week Solomon is organising a meeting at Kinangop as the Kenya Wildlife Service – KWS want to come and see the critically endangered Colobus and learn more about Kieni and Kipipiri forests. The senior KWS wardens from Nairobi, Kinangop and Nyahururu will be there along with the Nyandarua County Commissioner. Nyandarua was the previous name of the Aberderes, a Kikuyu word for a dried skin that resembles the shape of the mountains. The senior KWS warden in Nyahururu (Thompson Falls) is responsible for all wildlife out of any preserved areas in Nyandarua.
This is such a wonderful and encouraging achievement for Solomon. His work, determination and perseverance are being understood and his conservation activities are being taken into account. Solomon will also present another report on the situation and hopefully after that, a plan to relocate the most critically endangered groups will materialise.
At the same time and the reason why Solomon was climbing up steep slopes is that he has decided to do a report on the birth rate of the Colobus as well as the survival rate of the infants. He is concerned that he is seeing fewer infants and junveniles.
Finally, he has discussed the issue of the metal cages being stolen by scrap dealers with KWS. He is seriously considering having some wooden cages made that he thinks won’t be stolen since wood has no value compared to metal. This is a very poor area, the local police station was burnt down and Solomon says he cannot ensure the safety of the metal cages placed in the forests. We are looking into this as a more sustainable solution.
What came out of the KWS meeting on 24th September at Nairobi National Park
Oct 4, 2025
It was the first time that Solomon has been invited to a KWS meeting. It was recognised that his extensive knowledge and unique ability to habituate Colobus for relocation make him an invaluable leader in this conservation effort. It was noted that Solomon is the only person able to keep the Aberdare area Colobus monkeys alive today.
Solomon’s Colobus counts of the various families and family members was hugely appreciated by KWS. Indeed, no one, apart from Solomon, has any idea of the numbers of threatened Colobus in the Aberdare area.
Solomon will only work with KWS for the translocation of Colobus monkeys from now on. Every request will be sent to KWS HQ.
KWS now has a vehicle at Kinangop and has offered to use this vehicle for all Colobus relocations in the Aberdare area. This will substantially reduce the relocation costs, which the crowdfund will not be able to cover. The crowdfunds will pay for all the essential work undertaken up to the relocation. FYI, we are looking for other partners to join our project to help cover additional costs.
Solomon will assess the Kieni Forest and Gatamaiyo Forest Nature Reserve a) to see if there are any Colobus in these forests, b) to determine whether it will be suitable for the Colobus to be relocated here. This is the first time Solomon’s research work will be used and taken into consideration. It is a huge step forward for Solomon. We anticipate these forests to be the first relocation forests: they lie within the same ecological zone, they provide the right habitat, and the introduction of Colobus will enhance the health of the forests as a whole. Finally, because the monkeys will be monitored, the forests will be better preserved.
(Sadly) it will take about 3 months to complete the research work before the relocations can take place. We must be patient!
During that time the Colobus will be monitored. Solomon is setting up a team of local people that he has already trained to be at the Colobus endangered areas. These helpers will be implemented on sight in October. The funds from the crowdfunding will go towards paying these Colobus keepers as we wait for the relocations to start. KWS have said they will send two rangers to the Aberdares to help Solomon.
Thank you again, donators, for making all these first vital steps happen. Without your miracle funds, nothing would have been done to save Kenya’s gently Colobus monkeys. Thanks to you, Solomon’s voice has been heard, and with it, the voice of the Colobus.
Thank you!
Updates will continue as we wait for the journey to unfold.
The fantastic progress we are making …
Sept 18, 2025
WOW things do happen when you can pay for it to happen. THANK YOU SO MUCH all the donators who have so far helped things to move.
We are in Africa and dealing with wildlife. There is a process to follow for the monkeys to be actually relocated. Things don’t happen overnight. Thankfully it has be studied and approved by the people who own all the wildlife in Kenya and who know how to relocate wild animals: the KWS – Kenya Wildlife Service.
After several other interviews with KWS, last week, Solomon had an interview with the Assistant General Director of KWS – Kenya Wildlife Service. The result has been a huge awareness raised for the urgency and need for the precious Colobus monkeys to be relocated to safe places. An urgent meeting has been organised by the Assistant General Director on 24th September at the KWS HQ at Nairobi National Park. For this meeting and thanks to the donations, Solomon is collecting data on exactly how many Colobus are where and in what families ready to relocate. That means spending time in the forests and with the farmers to have factual precise information. As a side line, this increases Solomon’s credibility that he can have the ‘pests’ removed and the farmers in turn, leave the monkeys alone.
Solomon is also confirming the designated safe forests with KWS for the Colobus to be transferred to. These forests will be Kipipiri, Kieni and Kinangop forests – all in the Aberdare area and even Solio Ranch in Laikipia. The fact that the Colobus are relocated to the forests, will ensure that these forests cannot be cut down. These ancient habitats will be saved, along with other wildlife such as the rare Mackinder’s Eagle Owl, not to mention the unique fauna of the Aberdare area.
For the meeting of 24th September, the Assistant General Director KWS has invited AFEW (African Funds for Endangered Wildlife) to attend and who, thanks to Solomon’s perseverance, have agreed to participate in the costs of relocating the Colobus. This is a huge step forward for the project and during the meeting we hope a first relocation date will be determined in October. Hopefully there will be several relocations planned and mostly financed by AFEW. One relocation in the area will cost around 1,000 €, above the funds this crowdfunding has collected to date. But never mind, the point is that thanks to the funds, Solomon has been able to finance his trips to meet the right people to get the ball rolling. The crowdfund is paying for him to be with the Colobus and will pay for the bait needed over several days or weeks as Solomon trains the monkeys to enter the cages.
A HUGE THANK YOU everyone for making this all happen!! The spark has been lit thanks to you all!
Back to reality
Sept 11, 2025 -
Here are two sad photos of a Colobus killed by the angry local farmers. The dead Colobus in the tree has been put there to ‘teach a lesson to the other Colobus’, or are they aiming at Solomon?
For info: these photos were taken in June 2025 and since, no other Colobus have been killed, thanks to Solomon's work.
