Traditional taboos in biological conservation:: the case of Colobus vellerosus at the Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, Central Ghana

The Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary in central Ghana has been called a classic example of successful traditional conservation, Local hunting taboos on two species of primates (the ursine black and white colobus and the Campbell's monkey) are thought to date back to the 1830s when a local oracle instructed the villagers to care for the monkeys. However, the same level of protection is not given to the surrounding forest or other animals in the forest. In light of this situation, we examine the extent to which the traditional taboos on the monkeys complement the biological/environmental conservation agenda. We come to the conclusion that the monkeys embody the history and foundation myths of the villages and serve as a totemic mechanism to preserve the villagers' social world.