Mandrill

The mandrill is a dietary generalist that consumes a wide variety of foods: grasses, leaves, fruits, seeds, nuts, mushrooms, insects, and small invertebrates. In the dry season, it may turn to plantation fruits, such as papayas, mangoes, pineapples, and avocados.

The bright colors of the dominant male, on his face and rump, serve both to attract females and to impress opponents. When confronted by a predator, he adopts a threatening stance, firmly planted on all fours, shaking his head vigorously, and displaying canines that can reach up to 6 cm in length! He is nicknamed "the devil of the forests."

Mandrills live in small units, composed of a dominant male, a few females, and their young. However, it is not uncommon for several clans to gather and form larger hordes: the largest ever documented included up to 1,200 animals! Females choose which males they socialize and reproduce with.

Dependent on the tropical forest for shelter and food, the mandrill sees its range gradually fragmenting, mainly due to forestry activities and the conversion of natural spaces into cultivated lands. Additionally, the animal is also poached for its meat, which enters the illegal bushmeat market.