Born Free Foundation - Keep Wildlife in the Wild

Conservation status

The IUCN^¹ Red List, which details all rare species, classes vervet monkeys as ‘lower risk’.  This means they are of least concern of going extinct because of their high population numbers.

Despite this, data reveals populations are declining wherever vervets have been studied for long periods.  In many countries vervets are extensively killed for bushmeat^² and their infants captured for the illegal pet trade, or they are treated as vermin and poisoned, shot and trapped.  As human populations and agriculture expand hunting pressure on vervets is increasing in some parts of their range and could reach unsustainable levels if it is not curtailed.

^¹International Union for Conservation of Nature

^²Meat from wild animals consumed by people

Trading in vervets

For CITES^³ member countries, the international trade of vervets is legal, but restricted, as they are listed as ‘Appendix II’, which means their trade is regulated.  There is evidence that illegal export and trade does occur and could seriously affect populations, especially in countries like Gambia and Senegal.

^³Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.  CITES is a UN convention which regulates trade in threatened animals and plants.