The colobus monkeys of the Fathala Forest in Senegal are like the superheroes of the animal kingdom, defying drought, overgrazing, unleashed loggers, and wildfires trying to crash their party. 

Scientists from the IRD (Institute of Research for Development) observed these little monkeys and were impressed by their ability to adapt to a range of ecological disasters.

Their woodland hideaway suffered massive losses, with three-quarters of the forest galleries, their favorite habitat, simply vanishing. It’s as if half of the all-you-can-eat menu for these primates got erased, but instead of going on a hunger strike, they decided to reinvent themselves.

1. Review their diet

First, these survival experts revisited their diet, swapping leaves for a more varied menu of fruits, seeds, grasses, and whatever else could fit into their nimble hands. “Leaves are so last season, bring on the novelty!” they must have thought while savoring their revamped meals.

2. Moving and alliances

Later, they moved to the mangroves, taking a cue from their green monkey comrades. They formed a strategic alliance with them to stand up to hyenas and dogs who decided to cause a ruckus in their neighborhood.

Now, these little acrobats have decided to spend some time on the ground, defying all the conventions of tree-dwelling life despite their reduced thumbs meant to facilitate tree-to-tree acrobatics. All of this happened in less than thirty years, which is quicker than binge-watching a hit TV series.

There's hope for a future for these pretty little monkeys

As a result of all these adventures, according to Anh Galat-Luong of the IRD, their population has only experienced a slight decline, going from 600 to 500 individuals. The rapid adaptability of these monkeys is fascinating. It remains to be seen if other members of the animal kingdom will adapt as well to the upheavals that human life brings to their ecosystems.