<p>I investigated the determinants of community awareness regarding the <i>Rungwecebus kipunji</i> in villages surrounding the Mount Rungwe Forest Nature Reserve (MRFNR), Tanzania, by conducting a household survey involving 160 respondents. I employed binary logistic regression to discern the factors influencing community awareness and a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) to determine the predictors of the perception of Kipunji as a pest. The findings show that village distance was a significant factor (<i>p</i> = 0.016), indicating that proximity to the forest reserve (&lt; 3&#xa0;km) is associated with higher levels of awareness. Ethnicity also played a significant role (<i>p</i> = 0.044), with the Nyakyusa ethnic group being nearly three times more likely to be aware of the endangered Kipunji than the Kinga ethnic group. Age category was another important predictor, with respondents aged 18–25 showing a significant likelihood of awareness compared to other age groups (<i>p</i> = 0.013). Education level (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) and village distance (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001) significantly influenced community perceptions about Kipunji as a pest.</p>