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Samango monkey (Cercopithecus mitis)

Males are larger than females, males have a mass of 7 to 9 Kg and females 4 to 5 Kg. The tail is a third longer than the body. The coat of the head and the shoulders is dark grey to black. Facial skin, feet, hands and lower limbs are black. Upper limbs and flanks are paler than the shoulders. Belly and throat are a creamy white. The muzzles of males protrude to accommodate the enlarged canines.

I remember someone told me once that they have seen samangoes close to crooks corner.

I have only seen one once and that wasn’t in Kruger….was in Mozambique. I think a sighting in Kruger has to be really something special. I believe however that people who see monkeys in northern Kruger immediately presume that it is Vervets…do not take the time to look closer.

ok WTM!!!!

I saw Samangos near Crooks Corner.... cant remember if it was 1989 or 1990. But im going through all our kruger photos to find them.... it was an awesome sighting as they were quite close to the road...although rather shy... we got some good snaps of them.... if only i could find them...

Ok, serious now... Please post the pics. I would love to see the monkeys. How many of them were there? Can you remember? Were they in the trees or on the ground?

Samangoes were introduced into Kruger in 1982. Moneys in Louis Trichardt were causing too much havoc and got their departure papers for Pafuri.

Madach has a few good photo's.

From parts unmentionable on this forum:

Ja. The Samangos are only found in the Pafuri / Punda Maria area in Kruger .

The best (only ?) road to see them is along the pafuri river .

So if you see monkeys there , look carefully , they arent that easy to tell apart up in the trees and shade .

I have seen them also in unmentionable places .

K ra Z y mo N keys.

Kruger is only marginally Samango area, since they are true forest apes. Vervets tend to spend a lot of time on the ground (though less than baboons) and are regarded as a bridge species between forest and savanna apes.

Samangos needs forests of which there is very little in Kruger. Pafuri is almost the only area in which they would be found in Kruger.

Between 1982-88 some 95 Samangos from Entabeni near Louis Trichardt was released along the Luvuvu river. The re settlement is not regarded as having been very successful, and Samangos is only occasionally seen in this area (Pafuri).

If you have seen a Samango in Kruger, you are very lucky!

Oh I would love to see Samango Monkeys in Kruger!

Here is a an article I could find about Samangos in KNP:

http://www.krugerpark.co.za/krugerpark-times-2-21-samango-monkey-21398.html

So maybe Jumbo is right and you have to be in Moz or in 'parts unmentionable on this forum' to see them.
But next time in the Pafuri/Crooks Corner area I will certainly keep my eyes open for them, and maybe......

Katy

When I was in the Makuleke last year I asked the guides of Pafuri lodge if they'd ever seen Samango monkeys in their area. According to them there were no Samango's in the Makuleke anymore

I have seen them before-only they were in a mountainous area near Kruger, cant remember where.

Seen them many years ago on my first trip to Kruger in the Pafuri area. I never took much notice of them, as I did not realise they were so scarce.

I've never seen them since, so maybe they are not in the Makuleke area anymore. A pity though.

You're right, it will be a pity. They are really a charming animal to watch. A bit like vervets, really.