Mammals
Drill
Mandrillus leucophaeus · also called drills
Moving through one of the last intact patches of West African rainforest within its tiny range, a drill travels in a large group much like its far more famous relative the mandrill, yet remains one of the least known and most endangered monkeys on the entire continent.
Overview
The drill, Mandrillus leucophaeus, is a large-bodied monkey and the closest living relative of the mandrill, native exclusively to rainforest habitat within a narrow region spanning parts of Nigeria, Cameroon, and Bioko Island. Its extremely restricted range, relative obscurity compared with its more famous relative, and severe decline from bushmeat hunting make it one of the more conservation-urgent and genuinely underappreciated primates found anywhere in Africa.
The mandrill’s overlooked relative
Sharing much of the mandrill’s size and social structure but almost none of its fame, the drill has quietly become one of Africa’s most endangered monkeys, confined to a sliver of rainforest far smaller than the range its more colourful relative enjoys.
Status
Endangered, having declined significantly due to intense bushmeat hunting and habitat loss across its narrow range in Nigeria, Cameroon, and Bioko Island.
Drill: common questions
How is the drill related to the mandrill?
This species is the closest living relative of the mandrill, sharing a similar large-bodied build and social structure, but with a darker, less vividly coloured face that lacks the mandrill's distinctive blue and red markings.
Why is the drill so little known compared with the mandrill?
This species has one of the most restricted ranges of any African primate, confined to a narrow forest region spanning parts of Nigeria, Cameroon, and Bioko Island, a limited distribution that has kept it far less studied and publicly recognised than its more widespread and visually striking relative.
Why is the drill considered Endangered?
This species faces significant hunting pressure for bushmeat across much of its already narrow range, combined with ongoing habitat loss, pressures that together have driven a substantial population decline and contributed to its classification as Endangered.
Does the drill live in large groups like the mandrill?
Yes, this species lives in large social groups that can include multiple adult males, a social structure shared closely with its close relative the mandrill, though drill groups occupy a much smaller overall geographic range.