Monkey Hunting

African monkey hunting is usually done if an opportunity arises while looking for another animal.

Huntable Monkey Species

Vervet Monkey - Chlorocebus pygerythrus
Blue or Diademed Monkey - Cercopithecus mitis
Mantled Guereza or Black-and-white Colobus Monkey - Colobus guereza
Grivet Monkey or African Green Monkey - Chlorocebus aethiops

Just to complicate things further, there are 17 subspecies of blue monkey which go under different common names depending on the country...

South Africa has 2 subspecies - Stairs's white-collared monkey, Cercopithecus mitis erythrarchus and the samango monkey or white-lipped Guenon, Cercopithecus mitis labiatus both commonly known as Samango or Sykes' monkey. (Not huntable).
Tanzania has 4 subspecies - the Zanzibar Sykes' monkey or white-throated Guenon, Cercopithecus mitis albogularis in the north, Doggett's blue monkey, Cercopithecus mitis doggetti in the north-west, Moloney's white-collared monkey, Cercopithecus mitis moloneyi in the south and Tanzania Sykes' Monkey Cercopithecus mitis monoides in the Selous GR, all of which are known as the blue or diademed monkey.
Zambia has Moloney's white-collared monkey, Cercopithecus mitis moloneyi which may be commonly known as Moloney's monkey.
Zimbabwe has Stairs's white-collared monkey, Cercopithecus mitis erythrarchus where it is known as Samango or Syke's monkey.
Ethiopia has Boutourlini’s blue monkey, Cercopithecus mitis boutourlinii which is found in the south and is known commonly as the blue monkey.
Mozambique has Stairs's white-collared monkey, Cercopithecus mitis erythrarchus and is known commonly as the blue monkey.

Click images to enlarge

Blue Monkey

There may also be confusion between a vervet monkey, Chlorocebus pygerythrus and a grivet monkey, Cercopithecus aethiops, as the vervet was previously classified as Cercopithecus aethiops. The true grivet or African green monkey, range is in Ethiopia and Sudan and the vervet ranges from South Africa, up the east side of Africa into southern Ethiopia.

Vervet Monkey

Grivet Monkey

Mantled Guereza/Black & White Colobus

Where To Hunt A Monkey

All huntable African monkey species are CITES II and will require a CITES II export permit.

You can hunt a vervet monkey in Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique.
You may hunt a blue monkey in Ethiopia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Tanzania.
The grivet monkey is only available to hunt in Ethiopia.
The mantled guereza/black-and-white colobus may be hunted in some areas on a highland hunt in Ethiopia.

Monkey Hunting Prices

In South Africa the vervet monkey may be hunted for a trophy fee of between US$90 and US$300. If you are hunting near the forests of KZN, don't shoot a Samango/Sykes' monkey (which is technically the same as a blue monkey) because they are a protected species.
In Botswana you can hunt a vervet monkey on a private game ranch for a trophy fee of about US$50.
In Zimbabwe, a monkey carries a trophy fee of between US$25 and US$150. Most trophy lists do not specify the monkey type, so check if there is a different fee for a blue monkey/Samango monkey which may be found in the forests of east Zimbabwe.
Monkeys are not commonly found on trophy lists for Tanzania, so if you want to hunt one you had better tell your outfitter beforehand, so it can be entered on your hunting licence. Both the vervet and blue monkey are only available on 16 & 21 day licences. The trophy fee will be about US$120 - US$160 for a vervet and US$90 - US$120 for a blue monkey.
In Uganda, vervet monkeys are usually allowed to be hunted for free.
In Zambia vervet monkeys can be hunted for a trophy fee of between US$200 and US$400.
In Mozambique vervet monkeys can be hunted for a trophy fee of between US$50 and US$100.
You can hunt all 4 of the huntable monkeys in Ethiopia. The mantled guereza or, as it is also known, eastern black-and-white colobus or the Abyssinian black-and-white colobus has a trophy fee of US$600. The vervet and grivet trophy fee is around US$80 and the Boutourlini’s blue monkey is US$140.

Monkey Hunting Methods

Spotting, walking and stalking the likely habitats. Monkeys are really only hunted as animals of opportunity.

A Good Monkey Trophy

A mature large-bodied male preferably in all these animals.

Monkey Hunting Shot Placement

Aim at the chest area with a small calibre.

Male Monkey Vital Statistics

Male Monkey Vital Statistics
	Vervet Monkey	Grivet Monkey	Blue Monkey	Mantled Guereza
Body Length	17-24.5" 42-60cm	19" 49cm	19.6-25.5" 50-65cm	24.2" 61.5cm
Weight	8.6-17.6lb 3.9-8.0kg	7.5-17.6lb 3.4-8.0kg	7.5-17.6lb 3.4-8.0kg	21-30lb 9.3-13.5kg

Monkey Habitat and Requirements

Vervets inhabit savanna and mountains and most places in between up to an elevation of about 4000m, including urban and agricultural areas.
The main habitat of the grivet is savanna woodlands close to water.
The blue monkey is found in the canopies of evergreen forests and montane bamboo forests.
The mantled guereza colobus lives in forests and woodlands, often extending into highland and montane forests.

Monkey Social Structure

Vervets commonly lives in groups of 20 or more.
Grivets can range from 5 to over 70. It is one of few monkey species that has male-only groups of a large size.
Blue monkeys live in groups of 10 to 40, containing only a single adult male.
A Guereza Colobus group is usually 6-9, with one or more adult males.

Monkey Gestation Period

They have a 5-7 month gestation period and usually 1 young is produced.

Monkey Gender Identification

Males are larger than females.
Male genitalia are often obvious.

Monkey Trophy Permits (2015)

All Huntable Monkey Species
CITES	USF&W	EU	AUS
CITES II	CITES II Export Permit	Annex B/CITES Export Permit	CITES II Export Permit

Raw Monkey Trophy Import Into The USA

If you are intending to import a raw monkey trophy (skull and/or skin) into the US, you will need to complete the CDC application form for Etiological Agent Import Permit.
Go to Bringing Animal Products Into The United States for guidance on the application.
Contact: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Mailstop A-46, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30333 Tel: 404-718-2077 Fax: 404-718-2093 E-mail: importpermit@cdc.gov
Raw monkey trophy products must be crated separately from other trophies for import into the US.
Fully-treated, taxidermied mounts of monkeys do not need this permit for importation into the US.
If you are using a shipping agent, experienced with handling hunting trophies, he will usually take care of this permit on your behalf.