tis' the season to be jolly!

Just over 2 weeks have passed by since the last blog entry, so much has happened but it seems hard to put it all across (We blame the heat, and 80% humidity!) Aside from a green mamba dropping out of a tree nearly onto our heads, a HUGE spider trying to crawl into the bedroom, a sykes monkey stealing our coconuts as we relaxed by the pool on our day off and a grumpy vervet monkey initiating a fight with Abi, life at the colobus trust is going well!

The trespassing spider...

One of the highlights so far has definitely got to be when a troop of 45 yellow baboons came wandering onto the trust’s premises...at the time Me (Abi), Max and Andrea (the trust manager) were introducing Betsy to a small troop of wild colobus when all of a sudden we were surrounded by all of these huge baboons!! So it was a slightly intimidating experience, but quite amazing to watch too! Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures, as no one had a camera with them :-( but hopefully they will return soon!

Diani in December...Brrrrr!

Being a part time parent is exhausting! Especially when you're a parent to a child that can climb trees, jump between trees, out run a human, has no shame of going to the toilet anywhere, likes to roll in dirt or ants and then jump on your head! But it's all part of the experience, and being "Parents" to a 11 month old colobus monkey is anything but boring :-)

Since we have started working with Betsy, there has been a great progression and she has been acting more like a colobus monkey! She forages in the tree that the wild troops feed from, which is an improvement because it also means she doesn't try to sneak into the volunteers kitchen as often for a cheeky slice of pizza or a fresh cooked japatti! Though it could be another year yet until she is ready to be released into the wild, especially as the main threat to her at the age she is now is the risk of her being killed by the dominant adult male of the troop- “infanticide!”

Betsy sucking her finger, as angolan colobus don't have thumbs!

Max is now also a proud parent to a little bushbaby called bibi. Bibi came to the trust towards the end of October this year as a baby weighing around 50grams. Until recently he has been cared for by another volunteer who helped him reach a more suitable weight and introduced him to a more varied diet which would replicate what he would forage for in the wild. Now that his previous carer has returned home, it is now max filling in the role as the new carer, and so far it is going very well! Bibi has still yet to learn that he should be saving his energy during the day and sleeping, and be active at night, but at the moment he likes to do the opposite! But we are working on this by only interacting with him during the dark hours of the day.

Bibi :-)

6 days until Christmas!! It’s still abit strange getting our head around the fact that it is so hot so close to christmas...we miss the snow and being able to drink mulled wine, as well as family and friends :-( But we do have Betsy and Bibi to spend Christmas eve with, which is somewhat different to the norm! 
Christmas decorations have been put up at the trust to help the volunteers and staff feel slightly more festive, despite the 40 degree heat! plans for Christmas day haven’t been properly made yet... but it will most probably involve feeding the resident monkeys, calling home and eating lots of somosas (not quite the same as turkey with all the trimmings!)

Kuwa na Krismasi njema! – God jul! – Merry Christmas!

Monkey business in Diani!

Jambo! We have now been in Kenya for 2 weeks, it feels so long ago since we arrived in Mombasa. We have moved further south of Mombasa and are now situated in Diani until February. Diani is said to be a popular tourists spot, especially around this time of the year, but at the moment its very quiet on the tourist front! 

Diani beach

So in Diani we are both volunteering at the colobus trust, which is a specialised primate centre whose role it is to rescue, rehabilitate and release any sick or injured monkeys, and other native wildlife, as well as carry out scientific research and educate the local community. It's in a really nice setting too, in untouched coastal forest right by the beach! Our primary role whilst we are here is to be "rehabilitation and release coordinators", for one of the first hand raised angolan black and white colobus monkeys. The monkey is called Betsy, and she is coming up to 10 months old, and it is our duty to prepare her for her release into the wild! I'm sure its going to be an interesting challenge for the both of us, especially as this has never occurred with this species of colobus before :-)

Introducing Betsy to one of the local colobus troops

 

 

 

Betsy during one of her climbing sessions in the forest

On arriving at the trust we were greeted by even hotter and more humid weather than in Mombasa!! But after a week at the Trust we have (nearly) got used to being sweaty all day and not really caring... constantly dripping in sweat here is just the norm!

As well as working with betsy in the day and on occasion babysitting her at night, we have taken part in a wide range work activities! We have been de-snaring a local woodland, animal care of the rescued animals here and carrying out bridge surveys (counting how many monkeys use the bridge which pass over the main roads). 

We are now starting to settle in and in the coming week we will be starting a behavioural studies on two of the local Colobus troops.  

Handy Joe the resident vervet monkey!

On a more random note I [Max] have found that male to male handshakes are quite different here in Kenya compared to Sweden and the UK! It’s a mix of all sorts of low high and knuckle to knuckle. Interestingly when Abi shakes hand with someone there is nothing special going on just a straightforward handshake. This will have to be further investigated in the coming weeks...  

Diani beach sunrise :-)