Hugo is the current alpha male of the troop, who can't be missed due to his extremely puffy head of hair and the large scar on the righthand side of his face. He is a calm leader who is always on the lookout for intruders and threats. It doesn't help that another large male (Matata) has been on the fringe of the troop for a few months now and likes to cause trouble. Fear not, as Hugo is on hand to chase Matata away.

Elewa

One of two adult females of the troop, Elewa often can be seen leading them to new feeding spots for the day. She has two sons by the names Ewok and Elwood. Both require constant attention. Lately Elewa has been spending a lot of time with Matata and largely ignoring Elwood. Perhaps she is trying to hedge her bets in case Matata overthrows Hugo as alpha male? One thing we do know is that someone has to take on the responsibility of looking after Elwood. And that someone is Dogo.

Dogo

Dogo is the other adult female of the troop, and unlike Elewa, she is a strong mother who won't stand for nonsense. In addition to taking care of the infant Elwood, she also has two daughters herself, Duara and Dolly. Dolly (being only 1) still suckles and wants to snuggle up. Dogo certainly has her hands full, but she gets through as both her daughters are becoming more independent and lend a hand when they can.

Scarface

Scarface has a small scar running down from his mouth on the left side of his face. A much smaller male than Hugo, Scarface spends his time socializing and playing with the younger members of the troop. He, like Hugo, has a bouffant hair style that is easy to recognize -- just look for the adult playing and acting like a kid.

Chip

The prodigal son returns! Chip (a sub-adult male) went missing back in early February and we feared the worst. But he appeared about a month ago, and is now back with his troop. Like Scarface, Chip enjoys playing with the younger troop members and will often instigate play by tugging on the hair on the top of the heads of Duara, Ewok, Kifungo or Dolly.

Duara

A three year old female, she is well on her way to becoming a full adult, but still has a lot of learning to do. Duara is easy to spot as she constantly sucks on her finger (colobus do not have thumbs), a trait she picked up from Betsy. Duara is always up for playing, but can also help her mother, Dogo, out with Elwood when she needs a break.

Kifungo

The son of Kinky Tail, this little (2-year-old) male loves getting up to trouble. I have seen him chase Hornbills (several times his size) and even ducks. He is never too far away from Ewok and they love to sneak off together and stuff their faces full of Flamboyant and Bourganvillia flower.

Ewok

Only a few months younger than Kifungo, Ewok has a smaller face and a flatter top of head, like a freshly mowed lawn. He is becoming my favorite member of the troop -- don't tell the others -- and not just because of the obvious Star Wars connection. Ewok, like Kifungo, loves to play and can often be heard rolling about in the leaves high in the canopy.

Dolly

The youngest female of the group (just over 1) and definitely the fluffiest, Dolly often looks like she has just come out of the tumble dryer. Easily recognizable with her large, fluffy white hair on the sides of her face; often accompanied by a pollen-colored beard and face. She likes to be close to Dogo (her mother) and is even still suckling, which is strange for her age. When everyone is snoozing she desperately tries to get very close to Dogo and cries will follow if she does not get her way.

Elwood

Born January 2014, little Elwood is growing up fast and now showing his full black and white colobus colors (colobus babies are born white). He requires constant attention with feeding and being carried, but the little guy is becoming more and more adventurous.

Matata

Finally we come to troublesome Matata, who is sitting on the fringe of the group, perhaps waiting for the right moment to try and take it over from Hugo. You can read about him here when I wrote about giving him a name.

You can see all my photos of my time in Kenya on my Flickr page -http://bit.ly/1dpb3gd

OR On my Facebook page - www.facebook.com/diaryofaprimatologist

Disclaimer:

"The views and opinions expressed in the Diary of a Primatologist blog (except guest posts) are purely my own and are not in any way linked to any organizations I may represent or work with unless otherwise stated. All photos are my own unless otherwise stated and a source will be provided where other photos are used. If they are your photos and you would like them removed please just ask. The author retains full copyright for all content and photos and written permission is required before their use. The owner of the site is not liable for any content accessed through links posted."