The golden monkeys are found in the Virunga Mountains and other highlands and more so near the bamboo forest. These monkeys live in 4 national parks: Mgahinga national park in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes national park in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga and Kahuzi-Biéga National parks in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The Golden Monkeys are beautiful to look at with their various colors, including long golden hair, orange mixed into it along with its black limbs.
Golden monkeys habitat
The golden monkeys prefer a habitat with abundant fruit and bamboo due to its diet. The golden monkey moves in between areas depending on the season. During the season where ripe fruit is available, they remain in those areas. With the beginning of the rainy season, bamboo is shooting, and the golden monkeys move to such habitats. These monkeys tend to frequent areas consisting of mixed fruit and bamboo. They mostly seen in bamboo forests, which means golden monkeys prefer this habitat.
The golden monkey has a diet that consists primarily of young bamboo leaves, fruits, bamboo branchlets, bamboo shoots, invertebrates, flowers, and shrubs. However, the golden monkey is an opportunistic feeder, and its diet can easily be influenced by the availability of fruit. During seasons where ripe fruit is available, the golden monkey tends to feed more on fruit. The golden monkey may also feed on various flowers and shrubs when they are available.
Golden monkey group size
The golden monkey can travel in various group sizes that range from 3-63 individuals. The groups that are found at higher elevations tend to be smaller. The golden monkey will often return to one of several different sleeping areas after a day of feeding. The monkeys often sleep in small subgroups of four, at the top of bamboo plants.
They will often use a dense bamboo plant, or a combination of several bamboo plants that weave together to make a sufficient foundation for sleep. The golden monkey will often feed near the sleeping area and return to this same sleeping location day after day. Golden monkeys are one more animal you would need to see while on our trip to Uganda or Rwanda.