El Proyecto del Mono Dril
Threatened with extinction by the illegal bushmeat trade, the Bioko Island drill remains one of the largest and least studied species of monkeys in the world. Belonging to one of Africa's fastest developing nations, their island is home to extraordinary levels of biodiversity including seven species of threatened primates, all sought after by poachers as a delicacy in the bushmeat markets.
Traveling throughout the beautiful rain forests of the island, The Drill Project brings incredible images into the homes of the people living on Bioko. Told through a native perspective, the film explores the intricate balance of life within the island's rain forest communities while providing the first ever view into the secret lives of wild drills. By learning about the important roles animals play in the forest we learn that the drills play a crucial part in maintaining biodiversity.
The forest habitat of the drills is shrinking and the stress felt by the animals is visible in one drill's struggle to survive after being caught in a hunters snare. The survival of the species depends on the survival of individuals within a strong family group. With the arrival of a newly born drill into a group of wild drills, the film depicts the life history and ecology of never before seen wild animals.