admin | November 20, 2025
News Brief
In Boki, southern Nigeria, Drill Ranch is working to protect one of the world’s rarest primates: the endangered drill monkey. Caretaker Gabriel Oshie has spent more than 23 years feeding and monitoring rescued drills at the sanctuary, which now hosts hundreds of animals. Founded by the NGO Pandrillus, the ranch partners with local communities—many former hunters now serve as rangers. But deforestation, logging, and weak conservation enforcement threaten the species’ survival, making continued protection efforts essential.
Every morning in Boki, southern Nigeria, Gabriel Oshie walks through a forest enclosure carrying baskets of bananas and other fruits. Over 200 drill monkeys, endangered primates with bright faces and short tails, wait eagerly for him. For more than 23 years, Oshie has cared for these animals at Drill Ranch, a wildlife sanctuary in the Afi Mountain Forest Reserve in Cross River State.
Drill monkeys are among the world’s rarest primates, found only in parts of Nigeria, Cameroon, and Equatorial Guinea. Fewer than 4,000 remain in the wild, their numbers falling due to deforestation, hunting, and the illegal wildlife trade. Mr. Oshie says, “Wildlife is the beauty of nature. When you see the drill monkeys, the forests, and other animals, you can’t help but appreciate their beauty. But it’s sad that people are destroying wildlife despite its importance.”
Drill Ranch was founded in 1991 by American conservationists Liza Gadsby and Peter Jenkins through their non-profit organization Pandrillus. What began as a small effort to care for rescued drills has grown into the world’s most successful breeding project for the species. The sanctuary now houses over 600 drills, along with chimpanzees, a soft-shell turtle, and African grey parrots rescued from traffickers. Many of these animals are later released back into the wild.
The ranch works closely with local communities. Eighteen villages surrounding Boki contribute rangers, many of whom were once hunters, to patrol the forests and protect the animals. Their efforts have persuaded locals to surrender dozens of captive drills to the sanctuary, giving the monkeys a chance at survival in the wild.
Despite these successes, the future of the drills remains uncertain. Rapid deforestation driven by cocoa farming and logging continues to shrink their habitat. Conservation efforts have also been challenged by reduced government support. Once receiving monthly funding from the state, Pandrillus now relies largely on international aid and donations.
Experts warn that Nigeria’s forests and biodiversity face serious threats. Industrial plantations, illegal hunting, and weak enforcement of conservation laws continue to destroy habitats and displace wildlife. Local communities, particularly women and vulnerable groups, often bear the heaviest impact when forests are cleared or wildlife disappears.
For Mr. Oshie, the work is personal. He says, “I’m here because I want to protect nature. If we are not here, logging activities could take over, destroying the trees and harming the animals.” His daily routine — feeding drills, monitoring their health, and working with the community — is a quiet but crucial battle for survival.
Through the efforts of Mr. Oshie, Pandrillus, and the Boki communities, the drill monkeys have a fighting chance. But their survival depends on continued protection of their forests, stronger enforcement of wildlife laws, and recognition of the importance of biodiversity for both people and the environment.
Photo: A drill monkey in an electric enclosure at the ranch. Credit: Promise Eze/IPS
This story is based on an article written by Promise Eze for Interpress News Service, titled “The Ranch Fighting to Save Nigeria’s Endangered Drill Monkeys” To read the full story, go to: https://www.ipsnews.net/2025/10/the-ranch-fighting-to-save-nigerias-endangered-drill-monkeys/