Diani Beach · Things to Do
Colobus Conservation, Diani
Meet Diani’s flagship primate — the striking Angolan colobus — at a conservation centre that’s spent decades protecting them. A meaningful, family-friendly morning that funds real conservation.
Look up into the trees along Diani Beach Road and you may spot a flash of black-and-white fur and a long, flowing tail: the Angolan colobus monkey, Diani’s flagship primate. These striking leaf-eaters are increasingly threatened by the very development that brings visitors to the coast — and a small, dedicated organisation has spent decades protecting them. A visit to Colobus Conservation is one of Diani’s most meaningful and family-friendly mornings out, and it directly supports their work.
The Angolan colobus monkey
Colobus monkeys are unusual among primates: they eat mainly leaves, have a specialised multi-chambered stomach to digest them, and lack the thumbs most monkeys have. Their beauty and gentleness make them a joy to watch. Peer-reviewed research has documented how their Kenyan range has contracted over time, underscoring why the Diani population matters (see the range-contraction study in the sources below).
Why they’re threatened
As Diani has grown, its forest has become fragmented — patches of trees separated by roads, plots and power lines. For a canopy-dwelling animal, that fragmentation is lethal: crossing at ground level risks traffic, and using power lines risks electrocution. Colobus Conservation was founded in 1997 precisely in response to the rising toll of road deaths.
What Colobus Conservation does
Those rope bridges over the road are a familiar Diani sight and a neat, practical piece of conservation engineering. The organisation is accredited through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Colobus Species Survival Plan and is a member of the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance (PASA). Its guided tours explain all of this and let you see rescued primates up close.
Visiting Colobus Conservation
A visit combines easily with other Diani activities — see our things to do and things to do with kids guides. It pairs especially well with the sacred Kaya Kinondo forest, another pocket of the coastal habitat these monkeys depend on.
Diani’s other monkeys — and a warning
You’ll also meet vervet monkeys and Sykes’ monkeys around the resorts, and may hear bushbabies at night. They’re entertaining, but keep your distance.
More things to do →Visit Kaya Kinondo →
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit Colobus Conservation in Diani?
Yes. Colobus Conservation on Diani Beach Road offers guided tours of about an hour, where you learn about the Angolan colobus monkey and the centre’s rescue and road-safety work. The entry fee supports conservation, and it’s family-friendly.
What monkeys live in Diani?
Diani is a stronghold of the Angolan colobus monkey (Colobus angolensis palliatus), a black-and-white leaf-eater. You’ll also see vervet monkeys and Sykes’ monkeys around the resorts, and may hear bushbabies at night.
Are the colobus monkeys in Diani endangered?
The Angolan colobus is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and is nationally threatened in Kenya. Its main threats in Diani are road accidents, electrocution on power lines and habitat loss from development.
What are the rope bridges over Diani Beach Road?
They are ‘colobridges’ — aerial rope ladders installed by Colobus Conservation so monkeys can cross the road safely through the canopy rather than at ground level, reducing deaths from traffic and electrocution.
Should you feed the monkeys in Diani?
No. Feeding wild monkeys makes them aggressive, spreads disease and harms their health. Keep food secured, close hotel doors and windows against raiding vervets, and enjoy the monkeys from a distance.
Sources & further reading
- Colobus Conservation — about the organisation & the Angolan colobus (the conservation body itself, primary)
- IUCN Red List / Colobus Conservation — conservation status (primary)
- Anderson, Rowcliffe & Cowlishaw — “The Angola black-and-white colobus in Kenya: historical range contraction and current conservation status” (peer-reviewed, academic)
Images: Wikimedia Commons, used under their respective licences — verify and attribute each per its file page before publishing. Prices, schedules, wildlife sightings and opening details change; confirm before you travel or book. Last updated: 2026.