New baby born to the chimps of the M-community

By Kakae Saiteu, Guide - Greystoke Mahale
 

Totsy, one of the most relaxed and comfortable with human presence of all females in the habituated chimpanzees’ community, recently went missing from the main group. The main group is normally composed of the alpha male, adult and sub adult males, several females and infants. The researchers noticed Totsy’s absence from the main group on 31st of August, the next time they saw her again was on 3rd of September accompanied by Kalunde and her only son, Teddy. But when watching Totsy and her companion getting closer, they could see a tiny thing on her belly. On close examination they realized that Totsy had given birth to a baby female.
 

Next morning when we went out chimping we found her back to the main big group, probably she came to introduce the little one to other members. We found her sitting with Carter, an adult male, Teddy her son and Matsuya, a juvenile female. A few metres from where they were seated were others chimpanzees grooming and many others were in bushes feeding nearby. Totsy looked over possessive to the tiny baby. Whoever showed an attempt to touch her baby, she reacted aggressively to those individuals subordinate to her and walked away when dominant ones walk by or showed interest to the baby. Even Teddy her very own son wasn’t allowed to touch the baby of which he seems to be interested. Teddy and Matsuya however, following refusal of Totsy to let them hold and play with the baby, engaged in a marvelous play up and down trees and time to time could come by, peering at the little baby before running away.  

By Vianney J. Kabwine– Guide, Greystoke Mahale

It was at almost 21:50 and most of the Greystoke staff were sitting watching a FIFA confederation cup match on television. After all the cheering we saw something passing between us at a speed that we couldn’t tell what it was. No one was able to tell what has happened and after some time we all get back and keep on watching the match.
After the match ended everyone was keen to know what passed by us while we were watching the match? We took our flash lights and started searching for it because we heard something eating under the wooden floor. Banded Mongoose and Dwarf mongoose are the mostly likely to be seen in many national parks.

It was a White Tailed Mongoose feeding under the wooden floor!!! It was my first time seeing this animal, I rushed to my tent and came out with my Camera and enjoyed the moment with the white tailed mongoose. They sometimes come around the staff tents and feed under the wooden floor of the tents or they feed near staff kitchen. It is so amazing watching these animals near people; they could just come very close to you and feed.

Vervets and yellow baboons compete for guava fruits

By Hassani Rashid - Tracker, Greystoke Mahale

In Mahale Mountain National Park, there are eight other species of primates apart from Chimpanzees.
On 14th of August 2009 I was in the forest tracking chimpanzees, when I came across a vervet monkey with her tiny baby up on a guava tree eating fruits. While standing there watching, I saw a male yellow baboon come toward that tree where the vervet was. As he got closer to about 4 metres from that tree the vervet was the vervet started acting defensive, by bristling her hair, giving alarm calls while at the same time coming to lower branches as if is coming to attack the baboon. The yellow baboon couldn’t be stopped by that aggression and continued to walk toward that tree. As he got to the tree, the vervet kept on screaming but louder than before and other vervets who were up on trees nearby rush in for help. The baboon seeing more and more vervet coming from almost all trees around, decided to flee away.

Unfortunately many vervets were already nearby and started to attack the baboon as he struggles to get away. That left me puzzled, as whether the yellow baboon was after the vervet’s baby or guava fruits. When yellow baboons get an opportunity they can hunt and eat other small primates including Vervet monkey.