A day in the field

Following the chimps yesterday was so exciting and fun! We stayed close on their trail all morning and it finally seemed this is what being in the field is about. No sitting on the roadside peering through binoculars, no waiting for the chimps to come to us.

We denested Kakono, Kaija Alice, Ajabu, and Ruhara, and later saw Abooki, Komuntu and Sukari feeding in an antiaris tree at the crossroads. We followed them to another feeding tree, and then on the ground.

I'm always curious to know what the chimps do on the ground, and we were close enough to see through the undergrowth the infants playing- Elvis, Ajabu, and Kaija Alice. I also saw Komuntu (alpha male) "teeth clacking" while grooming, a very loud percussive sound that also involves some lip smacking, to alert the grooming partner that a parasite has been removed. It was fascinating to see how the sound is produced and its context.

The next day, after searching all areas of the forest, we accidentally came upon the chimps in block F2, by a well. I was sitting alone and heard some rustling in the bushes behind me, and saw a hand slowly climbing up the trunk of a sapling. I was startled, and thought it might be our field guide Joseph playing a trick on me, but it was Kaija Alice!

We saw Kemoso, Kakono, and Abooki raid the sugar cane that is planted right to the forest edge. I wondered out loud whether the chimps share, with whom, and how do they eat the cane? There are narrow "tunnels" in the undergrowth where the chimps frequently pass, and I practically lay on my stomach in order to see down the tunnel.

I watched as Kemoso processed her piece of cane- holding it in her left hand and peeling the outer layer off with her teeth and right hand. This peeling is very noisy, and her two offspring, Koojo and Elvis, came rushing over as she peeled. They waited as she broke off a small piece for Elvis, the younger brother, and Koojo could barely contain himself from grabbing his piece. (By the way- chimps are SO strong! I tried to eat cane, and needed a knife to peel it, and dont even think of breaking a piece off without breaking your arm first!) All my questions had been answered!

After the brothers ate their sugar cane, we were close enough to see them playing, and could even hear them laughing!! Imagine a hyper kid on a sugar rush, only really acrobatic, not to mention hairy!