Area of zoo
Pink zone
Enclosure status
Open
Population in the wild
Widespread
IUCN status
Least Concern
Scientific name
Colobus guereza
Order
Primates
Type
Mammals
Family
Cercopithecidae
Region
Equatorial Africa
Habitat
Forest, woodlands, or wooded grasslands

What do eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys look like?  

These long-tailed monkeys have a largely black coat with a fringe of long white hairs and a large white tuft at the end of the tail.

They have just four long fingers on each hand and a bump where you'd expect to see a thumb. 

Eastern black-and-white colobus monkeyswinging in trees at London Zoo
Eastern black-and-white colobus monkey looking upwards

Eastern black-and-white colobus facts 

  • Colobus monkeys spend most of their time sitting in the tops of trees but also feed and travel on the ground.  
  • Females invite males to mate by lip smacking.  
  • Babies are pure white for the first few weeks of life and later develop their black and white coats.  
  • The name 'colobus' means 'he cut short' and refers to the species' stumpy thumb. 
  • Colobus monkeys are herbivores and live high up in the canopy. They live in small groups with one male and a number of females and their offspring. 
  • Discover more incredible facts about about colobus monkeys: 5 things you didn't know about our colobus monkeys

 

See Eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys at London Zoo

Eastern black-and-white colobus monkey in a tree at London Zoo

Tickets

Book your tickets now to see our eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys at London Zoo

What do eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys eat?

Leaves, fruit and flowers. 

Eastern black-and-white colobus monkey habitat 

Forest, woodlands, or wooded grasslands. 

Where do eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys live? 

Equatorial Africa. 

What threats do eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys face? 

Deforestation and hunting by eagles, leopards, chimpanzees and by humans for their skins. 

Where can I find eastern black-and-white colobus monkeys at London Zoo? 

You can find our troop off high-flying colobus monkeys in their Monkey Valley home.  

Primates at the Zoo

  • Squirrel monkey baby at London Zoo
    Saimiri boliviensis

    Squirrel monkeys

    Squirrel monkeys have the largest brain, proportionally, of all primates.

  • Alaotran Gentle Lemur
    Alaotran gentle lemur

    Alaotran gentle lemur

    These lemurs can actually swim, with mothers even carrying their young on her back whilst paddling along.

  • A wide-eyed aye-aye grips onto a log
    Daubentonia madagascariensis

    Aye-aye

    Aye-ayes use their long finger to tap on branches and listen for hollow sounds, then they use their strong front teeth to rip open the bark before reaching into the hole to pull out their prey. 

  • Alika the gorilla at Gorilla Kingdom London Zoo
    Our western lowland gorilla troop

    Gorilla kingdom

    Our 193kg western lowland gorilla silverback Kiburi and the rest of the gorilla troop.

  • A close up image of a Hanuman Langur's face at London Zoo
    Semnopithecus entellus

    Hanuman Langur

    Named after the Hindu godHanuman, the deity of healing and worship, who is often depicted as part-man, part-monkey.

  • Red-faced spider monkey at London zoo
    Ateles paniscus paniscus

    Red-faced spider monkey

    Spider monkeys have a patch of skin on their tail, almost like a palm, which helps them to grip like it's a fifth hand.

  • Red titi monkey at Rainforest Life London Zoo
    Callicebus cupreu

    Red titi monkey

    These monkeys mate for life and the male is the main childcare provider, carrying the infant on their back.

  • Book your Zoo tickets
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