Mandrill

Mandrillus sphinx

The mandrill, Mandrillus sphinx, is a large Old World monkey of the rainforests and forest-savanna mosaics of west-central Africa, especially Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Republic of the Congo. It is closely related to the drill and more distant from the savanna baboons it is often compared with. Adult males are much larger than females and develop ridged blue-and-red muzzles, bright rump coloration, a yellow beard, and long canine teeth. Mandrills travel and forage in complex social groups, feeding on fruit, seeds, roots, fungi, insects, and small vertebrates.

Keeping mandrills is work for zoos and specialist sanctuaries, not private homes. They need strong indoor and outdoor containment, climbing structures, visual barriers, foraging opportunities, and management that respects rank, breeding condition, and the risk posed by adult males. Care teams commonly use protected contact and training for injections, shifting, weighing, and dental checks. Diets emphasize primate biscuits, vegetables, browse, and controlled fruit to avoid obesity and metabolic problems. Field conservation and rescue work address bushmeat hunting, habitat loss, and the welfare of orphaned animals that cannot simply be released without social and disease-risk assessment.