By Kakae Saiteu, Guide - Greystoke MahaleTotsy, 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.
