Colobus Conservation

Colobus Conservation is not a zoo, and it does not pretend to be one. Founded in 1997 after Diani residents watched one too many colobus monkeys die on the road outside their homes, this nonprofit rescue centre has spent nearly three decades fighting for the survival of the Angolan colobus monkey — a striking black-and-white primate found only in the coastal forests of south-eastern Kenya. With fewer than 5,000 left and over 80 percent of their habitat already gone, the work here is urgent, underfunded, and quietly heroic.

What You Will See

A guided eco-tour begins with a walk along the nature trail through a patch of the coastal forest that once blanketed this entire stretch of coast. Your guide — one of the conservation team — introduces you to whichever primates are present: colobus monkeys with their flowing white mantles, Sykes monkeys, vervets, sometimes baboons. You may see animals in rehabilitation enclosures recovering from electrocution or road injuries, or you may see none at all — because the whole point is to return them to the wild, not to keep them on display. After the trail, a talk at the information centre walks you through the conservation programmes, the threats these primates face, and why Diani is both their best hope and their biggest danger.

The Colobridge and Why It Matters

One of Colobus Conservation's most visible innovations is the colobridge — a flexible rope ladder strung between trees across Diani Beach Road at canopy height. Before these bridges existed, monkeys had no safe way to cross the road that slices through their forest. The team also works with power companies to insulate the lines that electrocute primates every month. These are not abstract conservation goals. They are practical, physical interventions that save individual animals, and you can see the bridges from the road as you drive through Diani.

A Conservation Story, Not a Tourist Attraction

There is something meaningful about visiting a place that exists because people refused to look away. The Angolan colobus is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, and the coastal forests they depend on are disappearing to make room for the same resorts and villas that bring visitors to Diani. Colobus Conservation sits in the middle of that tension — funded partly by tourism, working to mitigate its impact. The rescue line operates 24 hours a day, responding to over 500 primate emergencies each year. The reforestation programme teaches local schoolchildren to plant and care for indigenous trees. Every shilling from your entry fee goes directly to keeping this work running.

Practical Details

Open Monday to Saturday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Entry is KES 750 for non-resident adults and KES 250 for children; Kenyan residents pay KES 250. Forest walks deeper into the bush are available with advance notice at KES 1,000 per person. The centre is on Diani Beach Road, 5.4 kilometres south of Diani Mall — easily reached by tuk-tuk or taxi. Morning visits offer cooler temperatures and the best chance of seeing active monkeys. Accredited by PASA and recognised by the AZA Colobus Species Survival Plan.