When it was first discovered in 2003, the kipunji’s future looked bleak. The earliest surveys taken in 2007 found a mere 1,117 individuals living in severely degraded and fragmented habitats. The IUCN declared the species Critically Endangered, and it was placed on Primate in Peril’s list of the 25 Most Endangered Primate Species in the World in 2006 and 2008. Researchers estimated that their species could be wiped out in as little as 20 to 50 years if drastic action wasn’t taken immediately.

Since those initial findings, a number of events have already begun to significantly improve the kipunji’s situation. Mount Rungwe—gazetted in 1949 as a Catchment Forest expressly for the conservation of its water resources—was upgraded to a Nature Forest Reserve as of 2009, thanks in large part to this rare monkey.

The Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (WCS) has engaged local and international entities in efforts to conserve the region’s rich biodiversity. In 2014, WCS partnered with the Fish and Wildlife Services Division of International Conservation to support community-based initiatives that have focused on the long-term survival of the kipunji in Mount Rungwe and Livingstone forests. Such initiatives have included educating local farmers about kipunji to reduce retaliatory hunting.

Since 2016, the McArthur Foundation and the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) have been working with the Tanzania Forest Services to better preserve Mount Rungwe National Reserve ecosystem. These projects are funded in part by ecotourism, which includes primate sighting tours. Although these sorts of attractions require the utmost care to avoid cross-species disease transmission—especially during the current coronavirus pandemic—they do bring invaluable funds that sustain conservation in the region and boost local economies.

In April 2020, the non-profit Ecosia, in collaboration with WCS, announced four new reforestation projects to take place around Mount Rungwe and the Njombe forests. By planting a mixture of native trees, fruit-bearing trees, and woodlots they hope not only to ensure local people’s livelihoods but to protect local habitats and biodiversity as well—in particular the endangered kipunji.

These projects are having a phenomenal effect so far. The most recent survey from 2021 recorded a 65% increase in the kipunji population—bringing their total numbers up to 1,966 individuals. While this is still a frighteningly low number, it does indicate a significant shift. The data also show that human activities that damage kipunji habitat—particularly logging—have decreased by a whopping 81% in the last 15 years. Altogether, the holistic approach conservationists have been using in this region is working wonders to bring the kipunji back from the brink. Hopefully, as these projects grow and flourish, their positive effects will only become more and more apparent. Perhaps their phenomenal success will even begin to inspire similar movements for other primates around the world.