Boabeng-Fiema Monkey
Sanctuary
Boabeng, Ghana |
Location Guide |
This is a 35 hectare patch of
woodland including the villages of Boabeng and Fiema, which are about a mile
apart.
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This monkey sanctuary has no
fences, the monkeys are here because they want to be. There are two types the
Black and White (Geoffroy's) Colobus,
and smaller Campbell's Mona. The Colobus live high up in the trees eating just
leaves while the Monas are at lower heights, eating a wide variety of food,
including that brought by visitors. These smaller monkeys that travel in troupes
of 15-50, come down to take food like bread and bananas from the hands of
visitors. On my visit, sat a number of the black and whites high up, but in
range of my lens, and three troupes of Monas that I was very close to.
Sometimes too close to focus. There are said to be around 500 Monas and 200
Colobus monkeys, that form 13 troupes within the sanctuary area.
There have been sightings of
Green, Patas, Spot-Nosed and Diana monkeys, but probably not resident
populations.
In this small area the monkeys are
protected and treated as sacred, so they have become used to being fed and
looked after by village people and interact with them. The guides make a noise
which the Monas come in response to.
There is also a graveyard where
monkeys and priestesses are buried together that visitors are shown.
Local folklore has
it that a hunter, who once lived in Boabeng, came into contact with a spirit
being called Daworo sometime around 1842. In the course of the relationship
he went into the forest one day and saw five monkeys gathered around a pot
covered with calico. The hunter was mesmerised and could not shoot them.
When he consulted Daworo it told him to |
Colobus Monkey |
treat the monkeys as relatives. Dawuro asked the hunter to take the calico home and when he did, that the
monkeys followed him home. With time the number of the monkeys increased and
the fortunes of the hunter also increased. The hunter attributed his
improved material condition to his association with the monkeys and this led
to a symbiotic relationship that has persisted to this day. Any monkey that
died was buried and funeral rites held for it just as human beings.
The Monkey Cemetery
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Another settler came to settle in nearby Fiema. He was also in contact with
a spirit being called Abodwo. Because the spirit beings lived as neighbours
they got married, according to the folklore. The physical representations of
the marriage were the monkeys. Daworo is said to have given some of the
monkeys to Abodwo to take them as its sons.
Although there are now local laws protecting
the monkeys, however, according
to the legends of the area, who ever kills a monkey suffers a calamity. The
story is told of a man, who killed a monkey in the 18th century and all his
relatives died one after the other soon after.
People
of Boabeng-Fiema observe Fridays as special days for the monkey and do not
go to the farm.
We have a fuller and more
varied set of photographs in the
Boabeng-Fiema Monkey
Sanctuary Photo Gallery
Mona Monkey at Fiema |
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Location: Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary,
Ghana |
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Map Reference: |
Country/region: Ghana |
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Map Link:
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Aerial photo: |
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Getting there:
From Kumasi take the road to Tamale until you reach Techiman (about 100km
from Kumasi). From Techiman take the road to Nkoranza. In Nkoranza you can
ask for directions to Fiema. The road soon becomes a dirt road. When the road
splits, the guest-house and park office are found on the left.
See also
http://bf.datawebghana.com/roadmap.php
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Access: |
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Website:
http://bf.datawebghana.com/index.php
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Other Useful Websites: |
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Email:
monkeys@datawebghana.com |
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Address: PO Box 222, Boabeng, Ghana |
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Postcode: |
Telephone: 233 21 235465 |
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Opening Times: |
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Charges: Guide 5GHS plus tip |
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Nearby Locations:
Kintampo
Waterfall
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Other Location Pages:
Boabeng-Fiema Monkey
Sanctuary Photo Gallery
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Notes:
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Page Ref: fiema_monkey |
Classification: Wildlife |
Date Updated: 01/2009 |
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can add to the Grid(s) or page and any errors that you discover. Before making a long trip to any location it is always
wise to double check the current information, websites like magazines may be
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