Golden-bellied mangabeys are semi-terrestrial, meaning they spend about half of the time on trees and the other half foraging on the ground.

What does it mean “to forage”?

It means to search for food and refers to other behaviours that are linked to finding provisions, such as exploring, selecting or manipulating foliage or substrate to obtain food.

Golden-bellied mangabeys have white eyelids and it is a very efficient communication feature since it allows them to notice other individuals in the dense forest. As the name suggests, the chest is bright yellow, while the rest of the body is an olive-brown color.

According to IUCN data, high numbers of golden-bellied mangabeys are killed for the commercial bushmeat trade across their range. This has led to ongoing dramatic population declines. Market surveys in Lusambo in 2010, revealed numerous fresh carcasses. The presence of high numbers of fresh carcasses suggested that entire groups were being slaughtered in single events. A follow-up enquiry in Lusambo in 2015 confirmed that hunting of this mangabey continues, but that fresh carcasses are now uncommon and populations of the species are reported to be low. Declining visibility of golden-bellied mangabey offered for sale publicly in Kinshasa over the last several years might be a result of increasing rarity of the species due to unsustainable offtake.