Mandrill colours

Serge caught us admiring his magnificent rump, but who can blame us when, as Darwin wrote, 'No other member in the whole class of mammals is coloured in so extraordinary a manner as the male mandrill.'

As the dominant male, Serge is the most colourful mandrill in his troop and therefore the most attractive to the females.

Serge, photo courtesy of Jo Gaweda

Mandrills are currently classified as vulnerable by the IUCN and are threatened by deforestation and the bushmeat trade. Visit the 'Take action' section of our site to see how you can support us in protecting Cameroon's apes and monkeys.