Golden Monkey, Mgahinga National Park, Uganda

The golden monkey is a new species for me. Previously thought to be a subspecies of the blue monkey (which I have photographed before in Tanzania) it is now listed as a distinct species. They are considered endangered due to continued loss of habitat and wars in their limited range. They exist only in the Virunga mountains that span the border between Uganda, Rwanda and the Congo. They prefer the bamboo forests at higher elevations — their diet consisting mainly of bamboo shoots and leaves. It was a bit of a trek to reach the monkeys (and we passed a few gorillas on the way) but well worth it when we finally came upon a troop of about thirty individuals going about their business of playing, eating and doing all other manner of golden monkey-y things. Photographed in Mgahinga National Park in Uganda. Nikon D850 with Nikkor 200-400mm lens (at 200mm) ISO 3200, f/4 at 1/100th of a second.