Monday, August 04, 2008
My first horrifying look
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(Warning: this blog entry contains material that may be upsetting for young or sensitive readers.)

At 6:20 this morning, we headed out to Kasekela valley, where the "G" family was nested near the stream. Even with the dawn light only just starting to grow, the chimpanzees were awake and on the move. We followed them up the steep slope. I discovered a new challenge: climbing uphill through vines, in the dark, while trying to hold a flashlight. Why did I not take my headlamp today? But eventually the chimps made their way to a well-worn path. Nearly all the animals in the forest make use of the paths and it's not hard to understand why.

As we followed it didn't take long before we picked up on the bad smell of the dead baby's body.

In the next valley the chimps scattered and headed off the path into the thick vegetation, and we lost track of Gaia. After some searching, one of the field assistants found her feeding in a palm tree. When she clambered down to the ground to climb a different tree, I had my first horrifying look at Gaia carrying the small dead body. Mostly she carried it slung over her back. This is a fairly normal thing for a chimpanzee mother to do for a while after her infant dies, but it is truly a hard thing to see and understand. We followed after Gaia as she moved on, making our way around some commotion nearby, where Ferdinand (current alpha male) was chasing after Gremlin. 

Gremlin had stopped carrying the body of Gaia's baby, but obviously Gaia picked it up. She may have wanted her baby back after all but was not willing to challenge her own mother for it, though we can only speculate.

After some time I had to head back to camp for some office work and packing for my upcoming trip. I certainly felt for the field assistants who have been enduring the dramatic situation involving Gaia, Gremlin, and Gaia's twins for two weeks now.

Some days in the forest at Gombe are difficult -- not just because of the tough hiking up and down the hills.

Gaia carries the body of her deceased baby. (Photo: JGI/ A. Mosser)

Editor's Note: Please check back tomorrow, when Anna will tell us about organizing her first research seminar at the Gombe Stream Research Centre. We will continue to provide updates on Gaia and her mother Gremlin, who is pregnant, as events progress.

Contributor: Emily Wroblewski    Permalink