croyances traditionnelle et conservation du colobe de Geoffroy (Colobus vellerosus) (Geoffroy, 1834) dans la forêt sacrée de Kikélé, Bénin (Afrique de l'ouest)

In Africa, traditional beliefs play a vital role in biodiversity conservation. We studied the attitudes and perceptions of Kikele villagers towards the Geoffroy’s pied colobus in the sacred forest of Kikele, Republic of Benin, using an ethnographic approach based on personal interviews. Our results suggest that the population of colobus has been protected by the Kikele population’s traditional beliefs for several decades. This ethnozoological consideration could contribute to the conservation of Geoffroy’s pied colobus, Colobus vellerosus, especially at this present moment where the status of the species is degraded throughout its area of distribution.