Jozani Forest Red Colobus Trail

The Last Forest of the Spice Island

Jozani-Chwaka Bay National Park protects the last remnant of Zanzibar's indigenous forest — a 2,500-hectare fragment of what was once a continuous canopy covering the island. At its heart is one of Africa's most compelling wildlife encounters: the Zanzibar red colobus monkey (Piliocolobus kirkii), a critically endangered endemic species found nowhere else on the planet.

The Colobus Monkeys

The Zanzibar red colobus is unusual among primates — it has a distinctive white-tufted head, rusty-red back, and a loud, whooping call that reverberates through the forest. Unlike most primates, it feeds almost exclusively on leaves, including young leaves that are toxic to other animals — a physiological specialisation that required the evolution of a complex, multi-chambered stomach similar to a cow's. Troops of 30–50 individuals are habituated to human presence and typically allow close approach.

The Mangrove Boardwalk

The trail also passes through a coastal mangrove system via a raised boardwalk, where the network of prop roots supports a unique ecosystem: mudskippers, fiddler crabs, and mangrove kingfishers are among the species visible from the elevated path.