Twelve Old World monkey species are found in Kenya. IPR has facilities for maintaining 400 animals, which represent nine species. Because of increasing demands for available land by the rapidly increasing human population, the area available to wild primates has shrunk in corresponding proportion. The animals are regarded as pests and farmers do not hesitate to kill them to prevent crop raiding. IPR has recognized the need to develop effective strategies for conservation of endangered primate species in Kenya. In collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Service and relevant Government departments, IPR has coordinated efforts for conservation of the following endangered and threatened non-human primates; de Brazza monkey, Angolan black and white colobus monkey, Eastern black and white colobus, Tana River red colobus, and Tana River crested mangabeys. De Brazza monkeys inhabit forests in Trans Nzoia and Kakamega and the Tana River red colobus and crested mangabeys have received special attention. The Government of Kenya gazetted Tana River National Primate Reserve (TRNPR) as a protected area in 1976. This has allowed IPR scientists to carry out a range of studies on community utilization of resources, primate populations and distribution, ecological changes and their effect on the monkey populations and the assessment of human impact on monkey species. This program of research also included studies of zoonotic diseases naturally occurring in monkeys.  

An important new development in this area is the recent establishment of a Primatology Field School through IPR and KWS (Kenya) and Rutgers University in USA. This brings together students from the USA and Kenya every August to train on issues relating to conservation of primates including the endangered species and wildlife e