Diana guenon  (Cercopithecus diana)

The main subpopulations of the Diana guenon occur in Liberia, where civil war has prevented any comprehensive surveys being conducted on this species' distribution and status (1). It is estimated that 50 percent of the population in this country could have been lost over the last three generations due to hunting for bushmeat. With no wildlife protection, the increase in availability of firearms, and the continued demand for food, this primate has suffered dramatically (1). Hunting is also intense in other countries, as firearms have become readily available.

Human population increases and settlement in forested areas has caused habitat destruction and degradation in these countries. To accommodate the growing populations, and those people who have moved on from areas where resources have run out, forests have been cleared for wood, crops and cattle (4). As the forests become fragmented, this monkey is less able to establish home ranges, forage widely for food and move safely through the forest (1). Their large body size, conspicuous coat pattern and loud vocalisations render them even more susceptible to being hunted (7).

The instability of these countries, especially Liberia, makes it very hard to provide and promote protection for this species. There are a number of protected areas across its range, though hunting is thought to go on inside them. There is an urgent need for up-to-date information on this species, but this will not be easy to obtain (1).