The miracle of Ivory Coast's Nero Mer

"From a canoe, 58-year-old tour guide Leon Djirobo makes an ordinary gesture, which has an extraordinary effect. He arches his hand near the corner of his lip. This doesn't produce words, but rather a sound similar to that of a wild cat. Almost instantly, the verdant mangroves of the Nero River are filled with small black and white spots. Milliardaire, the guide's young assistant, stops paddling as about 20 monkeys respond to Djirobo's call; a call known for generations."

"The Bas-Sassandra region, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Cote d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast, has fallen victim to the massive deforestation and alarming loss of biodiversity that the country has suffered since its independence in 1960. There used to be chimpanzees, panthers, antelopes, and buffalo here, but now only monkeys remain. Now we only eat fish, crab, and crayfish, says the guide."

"Cocoa and cashew plantations, along with mining, are some of the factors that have led to the disappearance of 90% of the area's forest cover, according to official data, resulting in a significant loss of habitat for many species. The inhabitants of this village of 500, who are also palm, cocoa, and rubber farmers, have created a self-managed, community-based tourism model that focuses on the conservation of these animals and on offering visitors a glimpse into their customs and way of li"

Leon Djirobo uses a traditional hand gesture call to attract white-nosed monkeys (Cercopithecus petaurista) to the Nero River mangroves, where they approach to eat from his hand. The Bas-Sassandra region experienced massive deforestation and biodiversity loss since 1960, removing many larger species and leaving mainly monkeys. Nero Mer village chiefs banned poaching and monkey consumption in the 1990s and prioritized monkey preservation. Cocoa, cashew and mining caused about a 90% loss of forest cover, shrinking habitats. Village farmers created a self-managed, community-based tourism model centered on monkey conservation and cultural visits.

Read at english.elpais.com