Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary

Village sanctuary where sacred colobus and mona monkeys roam freely

The Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary lies about 100km east of Sunyani, near the town of Nkoranza. The sanctuary protects two species: the black-and-white colobus, a striking monkey with a long white fringe and flowing tail, and the olive-coloured mona monkey. Both species are habituated to humans and can be observed at very close range — a fundamentally different experience from seeing primates in a national park where they retreat at human approach.

The monkeys move freely through the villages, and their presence in the trees overhead, in people's gardens, and crossing the roads gives the sanctuary an extraordinary atmosphere. Local guides lead visitors to feeding areas and explain the tradition behind the sanctuary. A small guesthouse provides basic overnight accommodation for those who want to see the monkeys at dawn. Recommended as one of the most memorable wildlife experiences in Ghana.

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A story
The Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary is a community-run wildlife area where two villages have protected black-and-white colobus and mona monkeys for generations based on the belief that the animals are sacred — connected to local ancestral spirits. When a monkey dies, it receives a proper burial by village elders. This belief system has kept a thriving monkey population inside the village boundaries long before conservation was a formal concept; the sanctuary was only officially gazetted in 1975, by which point the tradition had already preserved the population for at least two centuries.