Understanding of behavioral ecology of primates in grazed lands is vital to their conservation and monitoring strategies. Here we investigated how livestock grazing within the Simien Mountains National Park affects the activity time budgeting and ranging behavior of the geladas, a monkey endemic to Ethiopian highlands. This study was carried out from February 2019 to July 2019 by stratifying the study area as grazed and nongrazed sites. Activity time pattern data were collected using 5 minutes instantaneous scan sampling within 15 minutes intervals from 7:00 to 18:00 for 10 days per month in the grazed and nongrazed sites. The ranging data were also collected by tracking the study group and recording GPS points every 15 minutes sample. The effects of livestock grazing on activity time budgets were statistically analyzed by multiple analyses of variance (MANOVA). Daily range length and home range size were estimated by employing the Open Jump toolbox (MOVEAN), and statistically tested by Mann–Whitney U test. From 3427 behavioral scans on the various activities, feeding was the most frequent (43.04%) behavioral activity followed by moving, accounting for 38.06% of the time. The study revealed that grazing has a statistically significant effect on moving and social activity time budgets. The geladas dwelling in the grazed areas of the park spent more time in moving than in the nongrazed areas. The effect of grazing on social behavior is the reverse of moving. Similarly, geladas traveled longer daily range length and cover a wider home range size in the grazed areas. Therefore, these findings of the study imply that livestock grazing is adversely affecting the behavior of gelada monkeys in the park. To minimize such effects on gelada monkeys and harmonize grazing with wildlife habitat conservation, the grazing pressure reduction strategy must be closely monitored and supported by animal feed cultivation technology.

Studies on species composition, distribution and relative abundance of birds and mammals in Gonde Teklehimanot and Aresema Monasteries was carried out from December, 2015 to February, 2016. In these areas, wildlife conservation is directly relevant to the local community, often as a source of livelihood, medicine and spiritual values. To collect data on population status of large mammals, we commenced a line transect while date on distribution, species composition and habitat association of Avifauna were collected by using a point transect, or point count in both Gonde Teklehimanot and Aresema monasteries. Based on these, a total of 95 and 72 species of birds and 21 and 9 species of mammal were recorded, respectively. Duncan's Multiple Range Test showed that mean number of species did significantly differ between the two study sites. However, mean no. of species between habitats did not show a significant in both study areas. During the dry season, the highest species diversity at was recorded in farmlands and its associated habitat, 0.93 and followed by Riverine bushland, 0.75. This might be correlated with the less habitat diversity; i.e a homogenous (Ticket forest) habitat type is a dominantly habitat type in the area. Among the monastries, Gonde Teklehimanot was better in mammalian and Avifauna diversity than Aresema monastery. Both of them are rich in biodiversity, and hence, conservation practices and management innervations should be done at different levels of the local communities.

Grivet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) are restricted to fragmented forests where food and space are limiting factors. The study investigated the feeding and activity patterns of grivet monkeys in Batiero Church Forest, northern Ethiopia, using focal and scan sampling techniques. Both focal and scan animal sessions lasted 15 min, with 5 min rest intervals between sessions. During the early dry season, grivet monkeys mainly fed on Acacia sieberiana (26.5%) and Juniperus procera (17.5%). Dry season food selection was significantly different, J. procera (20.5%), Acacia mearnsii (15.6%), A. sieberiana (14.2%), and Cyperus bulbosus (12.7%). The predominant plant parts eaten were seeds (42.6% and 33.3% in early dry and dry seasons, respectively) followed by leaves (34.5% and 22.5% in early dry and dry seasons, respectively). The activity patterns showed no significant seasonal variation, and the most frequent activity was feeding (33.3% and 32.6%, in early dry and dry seasons, respectively). The preferred food source tree species are threatened, and the survival of the grivet monkeys depends on the conservation of indigenous plants and trees.