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Wildlife / Blue Monkey

Tanzania Wildlife

Blue Monkey

Habitat
Montane forest, riverine woodland and dense canopy above 1200 metres
Best Season
Year round
Conservation Status
Least Concern

Blue monkeys are dark grey-olive, not blue. The name likely comes from the bluish sheen on short facial hair. They live in female-led troops of up to 40 in montane forest, and Lake Manyara's groundwater forest is one of the best places in Tanzania to watch them at close range.

Behaviour & Facts

Life in the Wild

Not Actually Blue

The blue monkey is not blue. The coat is dark grey-olive with a faint blue-grey sheen that shows only in certain light. A pale crescent marks the forehead. The face is dark. The name misleads almost everyone who hears it for the first time. What you actually see in the forest is a dark, medium-sized monkey moving deliberately through mid-canopy branches. Forget the name. Look for the pale forehead and the careful, measured movement.

Not Actually Blue
40
individuals in large troops
1
adult male per troop typically
130+
plant species in diet
Forest Troop Life

Forest Troop Life

Troops number 15 to 40 individuals led by one dominant male. Females remain in their birth troop for life. Males leave at puberty and spend years on the periphery before challenging for dominance elsewhere. These are mid-canopy movers, deliberate and careful rather than fast and reckless. Communication is constant: chirps between foraging members, sharp alarm calls for predators, and a deep dawn boom from the dominant male that carries across the forest.

Seed Disperser

Fruit dominates the diet. Figs, seed pods, flowers, leaves, and insects all feature, but fruit is the core. Blue monkeys swallow seeds and deposit them intact across the forest, making them important dispersers for montane tree species. Lake Manyara's groundwater forest offers the best viewing. Troops move through the canopy above the access road and are comfortable with vehicles. Arusha National Park around the Momella Lakes is also reliable.

Seed Disperser
“

Blue monkey troops are run by a hierarchy of related females. The single adult male is often replaced every few years by an outside challenger. At Lake Manyara they feed in the groundwater forest canopy and you can watch them from directly below on the walking trails.

Jack Fleckney

Lead Guide

Where to See

Blue Monkey in Tanzania

Lake Manyara National Park

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Arusha National Park

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Ngorongoro Crater

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Common Questions

Frequently Asked

Tarangire National Park holds the largest elephant herds on the northern circuit, with hundreds gathering along the Tarangire River during the dry season. The Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater also offer reliable sightings year-round.

June to October during the dry season, when elephants concentrate around remaining water sources. Tarangire is particularly productive from July to September when the river draws massive herds from the surrounding ecosystem.

Elephants are generally calm around vehicles they are accustomed to. Your guide reads their body language constantly. A relaxed elephant feeds and moves slowly. Raised head, spread ears and a direct stare mean you are too close.

Grasses, bark, roots, leaves and fruit. An adult elephant eats roughly 150 kilograms of vegetation per day and drinks up to 200 litres of water. They are bulk feeders that spend sixteen to eighteen hours a day eating.

Walking safaris operate in some areas but always with an armed ranger and at a safe distance from large animals. Your guide will never intentionally approach elephants on foot. Vehicle-based game drives are the standard and safest way to observe them.

African elephants live approximately 60 to 70 years in the wild. The matriarch of a family unit is typically the oldest female and her accumulated knowledge of water sources, migration routes and threats is critical to the herd.

In the Field

Photography Tips

01
Push Your Shutter Speed

Blue monkeys move fast through the canopy and rarely pause. Shoot at 1/1000s or faster to freeze leaps and branch grabs. Crank the ISO - motion blur will ruin more frames than noise ever will.

02
Get the Face

The dark face with pale brow patch is full of expression. Wait for the monkey to look toward you and focus on the eyes. A tight crop at wide aperture throws the forest into a smooth wash of green behind the face.

03
Tell the Troop Story

A wider shot showing several monkeys moving through groundwater forest gives context that a portrait cannot. Use a moderate zoom, keep depth of field deep enough to hold the group, and let the tangled branches frame them.

04
Shoot Mother and Infant

An infant clinging to its mother is compelling and gives the image emotional weight. These pairs move more slowly than solo adults, giving you a better window. Focus on the infant's face and let the mother's body provide the backdrop.

From Our Guests

Guest Photography

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Start Planning Your Safari

Speak directly with a guide who has spent years guiding expeditions across Tanzania's northern circuit. No hard sell, just honest advice from someone who knows the ground.

Jack Fleckney

Lead Trip Designer

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