CERCOPAN

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Dec 01 2008 | By: cercopan

LISA WITH ORPHANED BABY PUTTY  ’EMA’

Hello!  My name is Lisa Reamer, I did my Master’s thesis project here at CERCOPAN from March-May 2008 and am now back working with CERCOPAN as a volunteer – I just couldn’t stay away!  It’s such a great project and I enjoy being here a lot, so I thought I would share with you some of what I am working on while back in Nigeria.  My main project here at CERCOPAN is the habituation of a group of wild putty-nosed guenons who live in the core area at Rhoko, CERCOPAN’s forest site. 

The term ‘habituation’ refers to acclimating wild animals to human presence.  Basically, when wild animals see humans they generally flee.  When researchers want to observe wild animals it is important that the animals engage in natural behaviours and don’t react to people being present.  To achieve this normal, relaxed behaviour in the presence of an observer the animals must have increased exposure to humans until they realize that they are not a threat and begin to ignore them.  When this occurs and the animals go about their daily lives without acknowledging the humans, the animals are said to be habituated.  So, here at CERCOPAN, this is my job.  I am working with Ayitu, Etan and Usor, three local Research Assistants from the CERCOPAN staff; and the four of us, in groups of two, go out every day to search for the group of putty-nosed guenons who live in the core area.  The core area is an ideal location for a habituation of wild monkeys.  When habituating primates, or any animals, researchers must consider the animals’ safety first.  If you teach an animal that humans are not a threat it leaves them vulnerable to hunters.  Thankfully, CERCOPAN’s core area is a hunter-free zone and we have day and night patrol in the area to ensure hunters do not enter.  This ascertains the safety of the putty-nosed guenons who are the subjects of this habituation project.

YOUNG PUTTY IN THE TREETOPS

The hardest part of habituation is finding the monkeys as putty-nosed guenons spend much of their time high in the forest canopy, making seeing them very difficult.  Equally difficult are all the birds and other animals that live in the core area who rustle tree branches and cause me to mistake them for monkeys until I can get a visual confirmation.  It is intensely disappointing to think you have found the monkeys and then realize the movement was actually a just squirrel!  However, the feeling of utter excitement when we do actually make contact with the wild putty-nosed guenon group is indescribable.  It is absolutely exhilarating to be in the presence of these amazing animals. I cherish every minute we spend with the group – which generally isn’t many as they flee upon seeing us.  As we continue to make contact with the group our time spent with them before they flee should get longer and longer.  The research assistants, who have worked in the forest much more than I have, see the monkeys more frequently than me. This is good because the more we see the monkeys the better the habituation is going, however, I can’t help being a little jealous when the research assistants see the puttys without me.  The height of this jealousy came after I returned from the forest for lunch one day to find out that Ayitu, one of the research assistants, had been to the staff toilet and seen the monkeys!  I spend the whole morning searching for them and all Ayitu has to do is go to the toilet and there they are – so unfair (but hilarious)!!! 

MAP OF THE FOREST

The process of habituation has been known to take anywhere from 3-8 months with other guenon species and we are only a month into the habituation here so we have a while to go yet but I feel we are on track.  So far we have seen the group over a dozen times and have begun to get an idea of their home range (the area in which they live).  As Ayitu found out, they actually live VERY close to our camp!  We also know that there are 9 putty-nosed guenons in the group, 2 of which have babies (so cute!).  There are 4 red-eared guenons that can generally be found with the group as well; although we are finding the red-eared guenons are much more fearful of humans than the putty-nosed guenons.  When different species mix in one group like this it is called polyspecific association and is very common in guenon species.  In fact, it is the reason we have decided to habituate this group of putty-nosed guenons, so that our next release group of mona monkeys may join the putty-nosed guenon group if they want.  Our monkey release groups here at CERCOPAN are constantly monitored for health as well as for behavioural changes and since this means observers are constantly with them, it makes it difficult for them to join wild groups as they flee at the sight of humans.  It’s kind of like our release group are the new kids in the neighborhood but can’t make friends because of their over-protective parents (us) always being around.  So by habituating this group of wild putty-nosed guenons we are actually helping our now-captive mona monkeys who will soon be released into the wild!  It’s a big project but it’s important and I’m loving it!  Thanks for reading and wish us luck!!!

PUTTY-NOSE GUENON

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