Are Mandrills Endangered?

The brightly colored face of the male mandrill is easily recognizable, yet this primate species has managed to elude conservationists seeking to obtain accurate population numbers.

  1. The Facts

    • The International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, lists mandrills as vulnerable, while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists them as endangered. Exact numbers of existing populations are unknown, but a steady decline of 30 percent has been estimated for the last 30 years, indicating that this species is threatened with extinction if this trend continues.

    Habitat

    • Mandrills dwell in the evergreen rainforests of central west Africa. The largest population lives in Gabon, while other populations can be found in Cameroon, Congo and Equitorial Guinea. Mandrill populations appear to have suffered the most in Congo.

    Conflict

    • Mandrills mainly eat fruits, leaves and insects found in their habitats, but they invade nearby plantations to forage for food when their own supplies are scarce during the dry season.

    Hunting

    • Bushmeat hunters represent the greatest threat to mandrills, especially to populations living near towns and major roads. Hunters fetch high prices for mandrill meat, particularly in Gabon.

    Deforestation

    • Mandrill numbers have also been reduced due to habitat destruction. Illegal logging has resulted in the loss of significant portions of the evergreen rainforests that support mandrill populations.

    Conservation

    • Although reserves protect some mandrill populations, stricter measures against hunting and logging are needed to ensure their survival.