Golden monkeys, also known as the “Old World Monkey” are some of the world’s endangered primate species that can be found in the Virunga Mountains. Their golden fur makes them strikingly beautiful, attracting a number of tourists each year.
About Golden Monkeys
The males have a dark gold and black coating of fur while the females’ fur is slightly pale and lighter than that of the males.
Just like the gorillas, the golden monkeys are herbivorous primates that feed mainly on bamboo trees, shoots, and branches but when in season, they will feed on fruits or potatoes from the farmers’ fields (much to the farmer’s chagrin).
Also, like gorillas, there is usually a dominant adult male with more females than males in the group.
Where their behavior differs from gorillas who sleep in a different nest every night, the golden monkeys usually come back to sleep in the same nest even if they had travelled a long distance to feed.
The golden monkeys have a distinctive season in which they mate in, with a gestation period being 6 months.
Golden Monkey Trekking
Golden monkey trekking in Rwanda requires a permit and mostly takes place in the Virunga Mountains with only one session per day which starts in the morning. The permits for golden monkeys trekking cost $100 USD each but unlike gorilla trekking permits, does not limit the age nor the number of people.
Since the search for golden monkey’s is not long nor arduous, we started our day at 7 am instead of the 6 o’clock start for gorilla trekking and drove to a small village to meet the ranger guide.
As we set out through the fields and into the forest, it didn’t take long to get our first look at the golden monkey’s climbing in the trees. Within 10 to 15 minutes, the trackers informed our ranger that many members of the troop had come out of the forest and into the potato fields. The farmers don’t mind them feeding on leftover potatoes in already harvested fields, but if they dare venture into currently growing fields, the children are very quick to chase them away.
We’d definitely recommend adding the Golden Monkey trek to your itinerary the day after your gorilla trek if your schedule allows it.
Have a look at our Golden Monkey Gallery.
Also check out our post Rwandan Gorilla Trek,
