This sanctuary was established in 1974 to protect a population of monkeys living around the villages of Boabeng and Fiema. There are two different kinds of monkeys that live in these forests: the mona monkey and the colobus monkey. There are several monkey sanctuaries in Ghana, but this one differs from the others in that the villagers regard the monkeys as sacred. In fact, each time a monkey dies they are given a proper burial in the monkey cemetery.
The black-and-white colobus monkeys typically stay up in their trees, only coming down to eat dirt that has been peed on (yes, apparently they like the salt.) The mona monkeys on the other hand come down to the villages each morning to enter the residents homes and look for food! As a result, these monkeys are pretty used to humans. So used to humans in fact, that they will come down from their trees and eat a banana straight out of your hand. This was a pretty incredible experience!
