Conclusion and recommendations
The study revealed the presence of isolated populations of endemic
geladas at Kotu forest and associated grasslands. The population sex
ratio was female biased, indicating potential of population growth,
through adding new individuals in to the population. However, the
proportion of juveniles to other age class was very low. Such a small
number of juveniles will have negative consequences for the future
viability of the gelada population in the study area. Geladas
distribution is highly governed by water, food and cover availability
and quality and presence of threats. As a result, open grassland habitat
is the most preferable habitat in the study area. For sustainable
conservation of the geladas in the study area there is a need for
integrated management of the area with special attention on the
conservation of the grassland habitats and rocky cliffs. Disturbances
such as livestock grazing, firewood collection and opal extraction
should be halted if possible or managed well. There is also a need for
declaring the area as a protected area interconnecting with other ranges
of geladas in the surroundings.