Zena Tooze
Encyclopedia
Zena Tooze is a Canadian
biologist
and conservationist
who has worked in Nigeria
in the area of primate
conservation
since 1991. She received a master’s degree in Biology from Dalhousie University
, Halifax, Nova Scotia
in 1987. In 2005 she received a Whitley Award for excellence in leadership in nature conservation.
, Nigeria. CERCOPAN is a rehabilitation and conservation project for threatened and endangered forest monkey
s. Much of its work involves the rehabilitation of young monkeys orphaned by the trade in bushmeat
. The mission of CERCOPAN is to conserve Nigeria’s primates through sustainable rainforest
conservation, community partnerships, education, primate rehabilitation and research.
The host community of CERCOPAN is Iko Esai which is involved in the collaborative protection of 200 km² of forest contiguous with the Cross River National Park
. At least six species of monkey are involved in the rehabilitation and conservation program, including the endemic Sclater's Guenon
, Preuss's Guenon and Red-eared Guenon
. Following acting as CERCOPAN's Director since 1995, Tooze handed over to a new Director in January 2009, from which time she took on the official title of 'Founder and Trustee', heading up the board of trustees for the UK registered charity which she founded to support the conservation work in Nigeria (registered charity 1116955).
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
biologist
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and conservationist
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
who has worked in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
in the area of primate
Primate
A primate is a mammal of the order Primates , which contains prosimians and simians. Primates arose from ancestors that lived in the trees of tropical forests; many primate characteristics represent adaptations to life in this challenging three-dimensional environment...
conservation
Wildlife conservation
Wildlife conservation is the preservation, protection, or restoration of wildlife and their environment, especially in relation to endangered and vulnerable species. All living non-domesticated animals, even if bred, hatched or born in captivity, are considered wild animals. Wildlife represents all...
since 1991. She received a master’s degree in Biology from Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
, Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
in 1987. In 2005 she received a Whitley Award for excellence in leadership in nature conservation.
CERCOPAN
In 1994 Tooze founded the Centre for Education, Research and Conservation of Primates and Nature (CERCOPAN) which is a non-profit, non-government organisation based in Cross River StateCross River State
Cross River State is a coastal state in southeastern Nigeria, bordering Cameroon to the east. Its capital is at Calabar, and it is named for the Cross River , which passes through the state...
, Nigeria. CERCOPAN is a rehabilitation and conservation project for threatened and endangered forest monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
s. Much of its work involves the rehabilitation of young monkeys orphaned by the trade in bushmeat
Bushmeat
Bushmeat initially referred to the hunting of wild animals in West and Central Africa and is a calque from the French viande de brousse. Today the term is commonly used for meat of terrestrial wild animals, killed for subsistence or commercial purposes throughout the humid tropics of the Americas,...
. The mission of CERCOPAN is to conserve Nigeria’s primates through sustainable rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
conservation, community partnerships, education, primate rehabilitation and research.
The host community of CERCOPAN is Iko Esai which is involved in the collaborative protection of 200 km² of forest contiguous with the Cross River National Park
Cross river national park
The Cross River National Park is a national park of Nigeria, located in Cross River State, Nigeria.There are two separate sections, Okwangwo and Oban ....
. At least six species of monkey are involved in the rehabilitation and conservation program, including the endemic Sclater's Guenon
Sclater's Guenon
Sclater's guenon , also known as Sclater's monkey and the Nigerian monkey, is an Old World monkey that was first described by Reginald Innes Pocock in 1904 and named after Philip Sclater. It is an arboreal and diurnal primate that lives in the forests of southern Nigeria...
, Preuss's Guenon and Red-eared Guenon
Red-eared Guenon
The red-eared guenon, red-eared monkey, or russet-eared guenon is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family. It is found in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and Nigeria. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It is threatened by habitat loss....
. Following acting as CERCOPAN's Director since 1995, Tooze handed over to a new Director in January 2009, from which time she took on the official title of 'Founder and Trustee', heading up the board of trustees for the UK registered charity which she founded to support the conservation work in Nigeria (registered charity 1116955).