Jozani Forest, Nature reserve in Mapopwe, Tanzania
Jozani Forest is a nature reserve on the island of Zanzibar, Tanzania, made up of several distinct areas including swamp forest, tall woodland with wild fig and eucalyptus trees, and a mangrove belt along the water's edge. A wooden boardwalk runs through the mangrove section, while earthen trails cut through the rest of the forest.
The forest once served as a private hunting ground for the Sultan of Zanzibar, which gave it early protection from clearing and logging. It was later formally designated as a protected area during the 20th century, largely in response to the sharp decline of the red colobus monkey population.
The red colobus monkeys living here are found nowhere else in the world, and they show little fear of people walking through the trails. Local guides from the nearby village of Pete lead visits and share knowledge about plants used in traditional medicine, which gives the walk an educational feel beyond simple wildlife watching.
Closed shoes with a good grip are worth wearing since some parts of the trail can be muddy, and bringing insect repellent is a good idea. Morning visits tend to be better for seeing the monkeys active in the lower branches, before they move up into the canopy to rest during the warmer hours of the day.
The red colobus monkeys here eat leaves and fruits that would be toxic to most other animals, thanks to a digestive system built to handle those compounds. A few decades ago their numbers had fallen so low that their survival was uncertain, but the population has been growing steadily since the forest gained protected status.
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