--- In AntiPoachers@yahoogroups.com, "Dr.Syed.S. Ahmed"
<akif1999@y...> wrote:
May God bless all of you!

I had created a group "Small Mammals" .Rodents(mice, rats, hamsters,
guinea pigs, beavers, muskrats, porcupines, woodchucks, chipmunks,
squirrels, prairie dogs, marmots, chinchillas, voles, lemmings),
lagomorphs(rabbits, hares, pikas)&insectivores (shrews, moles and
hedgehogs) are generally considered as small mammals.The small
mammals are very important.They are a major part of the animal
kingdom food chain.Without them many other animal species may not
exist.Many of them are also endangered.In this group you can take
active participation for small mammal conservation

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smallmammals/

Regards,
Dr.Syed Shehzad Ahmed
MSc(Enviro Science),MD
--- End forwarded message ---

Doc

Havent come across this reptile in the tropic's where s it normally found.

Dan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dr.Syed.S. Ahmed" <akif1999@...>
To: <africanwildlife@yahoogroups.com>; <snakes2@yahoogroups.com>;
<herpetologycentral@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2005 5:06 PM
Subject: [African Wildlife] Fwd: THE FASTEST SNAKE OF THE WORLD


> --- In HERPS_@yahoogroups.com, "Dr.Syed.S. Ahmed" <akif1999@y...>
> wrote:
> The fastest land snake in the world is the aggressive black mamba
> found in the southern part of tropical Africa. You might have heard
> stories about this snake overtaking people on galloping horses but
> although these snakes are fast, they aren't that fast. They can
> reach top speeds of 10-12 mph (16-19 km/h) in short bursts over
> level ground - good luck trying to outrun one of these snakes if you
> tick it off!
>
> The black mamba is much more terrestrial than the other three
> species of mamba, but it readily takes to the trees in search of
> prey and to bask or seek shelter.
>
> Despite its name, black mambas aren't black. They're gray. The name
> comes from the color of the inside of their mouth - something all of
> them will gladly show you while they threaten you, if provoked.
>
> They can grow up to 14 feet (4.3 meters) long, another reason why
> this reptile isn't something to mess with. The snake races along
> with its head held high and about one-third of its body off the
> ground. That can be up to four feet (1.2 meters) off the ground -
> about chin level for some people. The black mamba is the most
> respected and feared snake in Africa.
>
> They are aggressive snakes that spring up to strike so when someone
> gets bitten, it's usually on the head. Black mambas also go after
> birds - and they're good at it. One mamba even had a parrot inside
> its stomach. After biting their prey, black mambas leave it to die.
> The venom is strong enough to kill prey in a matter of minutes so
> the snakes don't have to wait long for their meal.
>
> Before actually attacking when it feels threatened it will first
> give a threatening display by lunging at the attacker with gaping
> jaws, showing off the black/purple coloring of the inside of the
> mouth. If this attempt to ward of the harasser does not work it will
> then resort to attempting to bite the attacker. Multiple bites are
> inflicted quickly.
>
> The bite of the black mamba is deadly and will kill a human around 4
> hours after receiving the bite. The venom is neurotoxic and
> cardiotoxic. If not treated the symptoms are but not limited to: the
> tightening of the chest muscles, blurred vision, mental confusion,
> and an overall feeling of great discomfort. Biting and the threat
> display will only occur if the snake is not able to escape. An
> example of this would be a snake caught in someone's house with the
> owner trying to remove it with a broom. Before antivenin was
> available the bite of a Black Mamba was always fatal.
> --- End forwarded message ---
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>

--- In HERPS_@yahoogroups.com, "Dr.Syed.S. Ahmed" <akif1999@y...>
wrote:
The fastest land snake in the world is the aggressive black mamba
found in the southern part of tropical Africa. You might have heard
stories about this snake overtaking people on galloping horses but
although these snakes are fast, they aren't that fast. They can
reach top speeds of 10-12 mph (16-19 km/h) in short bursts over
level ground - good luck trying to outrun one of these snakes if you
tick it off!

The black mamba is much more terrestrial than the other three
species of mamba, but it readily takes to the trees in search of
prey and to bask or seek shelter.

Despite its name, black mambas aren't black. They're gray. The name
comes from the color of the inside of their mouth - something all of
them will gladly show you while they threaten you, if provoked.

They can grow up to 14 feet (4.3 meters) long, another reason why
this reptile isn't something to mess with. The snake races along
with its head held high and about one-third of its body off the
ground. That can be up to four feet (1.2 meters) off the ground -
about chin level for some people. The black mamba is the most
respected and feared snake in Africa.

They are aggressive snakes that spring up to strike so when someone
gets bitten, it's usually on the head. Black mambas also go after
birds - and they're good at it. One mamba even had a parrot inside
its stomach. After biting their prey, black mambas leave it to die.
The venom is strong enough to kill prey in a matter of minutes so
the snakes don't have to wait long for their meal.

Before actually attacking when it feels threatened it will first
give a threatening display by lunging at the attacker with gaping
jaws, showing off the black/purple coloring of the inside of the
mouth. If this attempt to ward of the harasser does not work it will
then resort to attempting to bite the attacker. Multiple bites are
inflicted quickly.

The bite of the black mamba is deadly and will kill a human around 4
hours after receiving the bite. The venom is neurotoxic and
cardiotoxic. If not treated the symptoms are but not limited to: the
tightening of the chest muscles, blurred vision, mental confusion,
and an overall feeling of great discomfort. Biting and the threat
display will only occur if the snake is not able to escape. An
example of this would be a snake caught in someone's house with the
owner trying to remove it with a broom. Before antivenin was
available the bite of a Black Mamba was always fatal.
--- End forwarded message ---

2) What is your Gender?---female

3) Age Range? Teens, 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's etc?---  53 almost 54 but
sometimes feel like 153 and sometimes like 23

4) Have you every been to Africa? --- yes, many times but not enough times

5) Would you like to go to Africa?--- Dumb Question? :o)

7)  What African Animals or Plants do you find the most
interesting?--- everything though I do find insects and arachnids
particularly interesting - just wish I had time to learn more about them

8) Is your job/career anything to do with wildlife?--- no unless you count
small children - they can be pretty wild at times!

9) Are you interested in ecology or wildlife conservation?--- yes

10) Do you know any foreign languages?--- no

11) Have you ever tried to speak any of the indigenous African Languages?---
have tried to learn a few phrases of shangaan and afrikaans but age is
against me!

12)  If you could trade places for a year with any African animal which one
or ones would you pick?--- Sykes Monkeys

13a)  Have you read any good books or websites that pertain to African
Wildlife?--- Lots

13b) If so can you suggest any to us?--- Too many to mention

14)  Do you have any African Wildlife photos?--- Dozens

15) Do you have any pets?--- 2 dogs, 12 rescued tortoises, 1 african grey
parrot, loads of other birds (in an aviary) loads of fish in a large pond -
but to be honest, most of them are looked after by hubby who works from home

16) What do you think got you interested in African Wildlife?--- I have been
all my life - but my interest grew after my first trip in '99 and then when
I started doing the Field Guide (SA) training with Wildlifecampus I became
much more involved in conservation issues in Africa

17) Do you belong to any African Wildlife type of organizations?--- Yes. I
subscribe to many charitable orgs and am a Trustee of Afritrust
(www.afritrust.com) and am very pro-active on Wildlifecampus and their Yahoo
Group

19) Are their any TV shows you watch that deal with African Wildlife?--- All
of them

20) What is Question 1? ;o)

Tabs

I had created a new group "Bats".I had worked for the conservation of
Greater Bulldog bat in Cueva de la arena(Cave of the sand)at Los
Haitises National Park in Dominican Republic.Drastic reductions in bat
populations have occurred during recent years worldwide.Adverse human
impacts include habitat destruction, direct killing, vandalism,
disturbance of hibernating and maternity colonies, use of pesticides
(on their food - insects), and other chemical toxicants.In this group
you can take active participation for the conservation of endangered
bats.

http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/bats_

Regards,
Dr.Syed Shehzad Ahmed
MSc(Enviro Science),MD

In a message dated 7/14/2005 11:29:31 AM Central Daylight Time,
africanwildlife-owner@yahoogroups.com writes:


I am hoping we can get to know eachother better.  Perhaps some of us can
journey to Africa together someday or meet those that are already in Africa.

All answers are optional so please only answer those you are comfortable
doing.



2) What is your Gender?---female

3) Age Range? Teens, 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's etc?---54

4) Have you every been to Africa? ---no

5) Would you like to go to Africa?---yes
7)  What African Animals or Plants do you find the most
interesting?---monkeys, cats, ect. There is so many I can't list them all.

8) Is your job/career anything to do with wildlife?---no

9) Are you interested in ecology or wildlife conservation?---yes

10) Do you know any foreign languages?---no

11) Have you ever tried to speak any of the indigenous African Languages?---no

12)  If you could trade places for a year with any African animal which one
or ones would you pick?--- Sykes Monkeys

13a)  Have you read any good books or websites that pertain to African
Wildlife?---yes
13b) If so can you suggest any to us?---I will look it up on monkeys

14a)  Do you have any African Wildlife photos?--- yes the ones I get off the
internet


15) Do you have any pets?---yes

16) What do you think got you interested in African Wildlife?--- I have been
all my life

17) Do you belong to any African Wildlife type of organizations?---no



19) Are their any TV shows you watch that deal with African Wildlife?---I
watch nature shows



Please feel free to add any other information you'd like us to know like your
adventures, if you are single, if you are wanting to ever live in Africa, if
you
have thought about being an wildlife rehabilitator, or whatever else you think
may be of interst.

Please forward your answers to africanwildlife@yahoogroups.com  THANKS!
That's all the questions I can think of for now but pleae feel free to tell
us much more about yourself so that we can have a closer community.










[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In PRIMATES_@yahoogroups.com, "Dr.Syed.S. Ahmed" <akif1999@y...>
wrote:
May God bless all of you!

I am posting a summary of the book  " Amazing World Of Lemurs,
Monkeys, And Apes " by Barbara Sleeper.This book has a detailed
description of most of the primate species of the world.I hope that
all members will find this posting as a complete mini-encyclopedia
of primate species.By the way I worked very hard to extract the most
important&most useful information from this detailed book.May God
will reward me for my hard work&will bless all those who work for
primates.I request all members to please let me know your comments
about this detailed posting&to pray for me that God will give me the
courage so that I will continue to work for primate conservation.

Regards,
Dr.Syed Shehzad Ahmed
MSc(Enviro Science),MD


Over the past five years, and especially since the Earth Summit in
Rio de Janeiro in 1992, conservation of biological diversity, the
sum total of all life on our planet, has finally taken its rightful
place on the global stage. A Biodiversity Convention, a major World
Bank-based Global Environmental Facility focusing heavily on
biodiversity, and a growing number of foundations and conservation
organizations with biodiversity as their principal objective have
raised the profile of this key issue and channeled funding in its
direction.

The entire planet's biodiversity is of great importance, but clearly
certain groups of species and a small number of particularly rich
ecosystems, mainly in the tropics, deserve special attention. Among
these are the nonhuman primates, the monkeys, apes, lemurs, lorises,
galagos, and tarsiers that are our closest living relatives. Not
only are these animals intriguing unto themselves, they occupy a
very special position in the imagination of our own primate species,
Homo sapiens. As research over the past four decades has shown,
nonhuman primates can teach us a great deal about ourselves and our
evolution. For example, they have played an important, if highly
controversial, role in biomedical research since the development of
the polio vaccine in the 1950s, and they have been critical in
helping us to understand what early humans must have been like. The
continuing growth of primatology and primate-oriented
anthropological research clearly demonstrates that our interest in
our closest relatives is not likely to wane anytime soon.
Aside from the ways in which primates can enlighten us about
ourselves, primate field research has intrinsic value--it provides
valuable information relevant to tropical ecology. About 90 percent
of all primates are found in the world's tropical rain forests.
These habitats are the richest and most diverse terrestrial
ecosystems, and the primates living in them play a very important
role, as seed dispensers, seed predators, and even pollinators. The
role of larger rain forest species like the Amazonian spider and
woolly monkeys as seed dispensers seems to be especially critical to
the maintenance of forest structure and diversity.

Unfortunately, wild populations of nonhuman primates are in trouble
in all of the ninety-two countries in which they live. The most
serious problems are in those nations richest in primates, including
Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Madagascar, Zaire, Indonesia, China, and
Vietnam, Primates are threatened by the destruction of their forests
and other natural habitats, by hunting as food (especially severe in
West and Central Africa and parts of Amazonia), and by live capture
for export, although the impact of this threat has declined
considerably in recent years.

As a result, of the roughly two hundred and seventy-five species of
nonhuman primates currently known, about half are considered
of "conservation concern" by the World Conservation Union (IUCN)
Primate Specialist Group. Of these, one in five is already in either
the endangered or critical category, meaning that they could go
extinct in the next couple of decades. Although we will probably
come through this century without having lost a single primate
species or subspecies (which can't be said for most other major
groups of vertebrates), we will enter the next millennium with a
large number of primate species on the edge.

To prevent the extinction of a significant percentage of our primate
relatives, a wide variety of actions is needed now. High on the List
is the need for more accurate information. We are still amazingly
ignorant about the basic issues of geographic distribution and
taxonomy (scientific classification) for most primate species, to
the point that we are still discovering new species almost every
year.

The most striking examples of new discoveries over the past decade
have been in Madagascar and Brazil. In Madagascar, two distinctive
new species, the golden bamboo lemur and Tattersall's sifaka, were
found and described in the ate 1980s. A third species, the pygmy
mouse lemur described more than one hundred years ago and forgotten,
is not only still alive, but quite distinct. This rediscovered
species is now considered the world's smallest living primate.
In Brazil, the record for new species discoveries is even more
striking. Six new species have been discovered and described since
1990. These include Leontopithicus caissara, Callithix nigriseps,
Cebus kaapori, Callithix marcai, and the most recent, Callithix
saterei. A seventh is in the process of being described, and there
may also be four to five others. Discoveries continue in other parts
of the world as well. A new form of colobus monkey was recently
identified in the Niger Delta of Africa and several new galago taxa
have surfaced in the past few years. In addition to these
spectacular discoveries, almost every field research expedition now
obtains significant new information on geographic distribution,
range extensions, and so on. Efforts to conserve primates have been
underway for the past twenty years. Of particular note are the
activities of the Primate Specialist Group of the World Conservation
Union's (IUCN) Species Survival Commission (SSC). This group, with
some three hundred members worldwide, first produced a Global
Strategy for Primate Conservation in 1978, This was followed by the
development of a series of primate conservation Action Plans for
Africa, Asia, Madagascar, and Mesoamerica, which have had
considerable impact. The Primate Specialist Group also issues a
yearly journal, PRIMATE CONSERVATION, and has regional newsletters
(NEOTROPICAL PRIMATES, ASIAN PRIMATES, AFRICAN PRIMATES, and LEMUR
NEWS) that reach abroad primate conservation community. Through its
action plans and other activities, the group has attracted millions
of dollars to the field since 1977 and continues to be a catalyst
for conservation activities.

A number of other organizations have played major roles in primate
conservation, including the Wildlife Conservation Society (WOS),
Conservation international (CI), the world Wildlife Fund (WWF), the
African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), Jersey Wildlife Preservation
Trust (JWPT), the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, the Jane Goodall
Institute, and a number of zoos, including the Brookfield Zoo, the
Columbus Zoo, the Cincinnati Zoo, and several others. A new
foundation, the Margot Marsh Biodiversity Foundation, is dedicated
exclusively to primates.

In spite of all this support and activity, there have been gaps in
primatology. The lack of quality Publications for the general
public, especially books depicting these amazing creatures and their
great diversity, is one glaring example. When most people think
about primates, they think only of chimps, gorillas, baboons, and
maybe the occasional capuchin monkey. But the Order Primates, the
taxonomic classification of mammals that includes all lemurs,
monkeys, apes, and humans, is wonderfully diverse in ways that few
people recognize. Those of us in the conservation community are
especially interested in portraying this rich diversity and helping
to stimulate public concern for disappearing primates. Top-notch
publications play a critical role in our efforts to spread our
message as widely as possible.


---------------------------------------------------------------------

MADAGASCAR

Madagascar, generally acknowledged as the world's highest primate
conservation priority, shows the importance of a strategically
focused effort to conserve primates. With its unmatched endemism,
Madagascar ranks third on the world list of primate species
diversity, yet is less than 7 percent of the size of Brazil, the
world leader, and roughly one quarter the size of Indonesia or
Zaire, which rank second and fourth, respectively. Madagascar's
thirty-two species and fifty distinct taxa are 100 percent endemic.
Two species, Eulemur fulus and Ealemur mongoz, also live on the
nearby Comoro Islands, but they were almost certainly introduced
there from Madagascan At the family and genera levels, Madagascar's
primate diversity is even more striking, with fully five primate
families and fourteen genera found no where else. Compare this to
Brazil, the richest country on Earth in primate species with seventy-
six, but with only three families, none of them endemic, and two
endemic genera out of sixteen. And of the fifty lemur taxa
recognized for Madagascar, fully ten are considered critically
endangered, seven are endangered, and another nineteen vulnerable.
In addition, one entire family (Daubentonhdae) and four genera are
considered endangered. This represents a degree of primate
endangerment at higher taxonomic levels unmatched by any other
country and is of great international concern.

Look at Madagascar's diversity in yet another way: Although it is
only one of ninety two countries to have wild primate populations,
it alone is home to 13 percent of all primate species (32 species of
275 species total), 23 percent of all primate genera (14 genera of
65 genera total), and 36 percent of all primate families (5 families
of 14 families total), which is a great responsibility for any one
nation.

Madagascar also demonstrates that the possibility of primate
extinctions is not a figment of the conservationists' imagination.
Fully eight genera and at least fifteen species of lemur have
already gone extinct on this island since the arrival of our own
species there less than two thousand years ago, and many others
could disappear within the next few decades if rapid action is not
taken.

This once isolated island nation is by far one of the most unique
areas for primate evolution and conservation. While only 7 percent
the size of Brazil and roughly one-quarter the size of Indonesia or
Zaire, Madagascar contains an amazing fourteen genera and thirty-two
species of primates. Most important, all are endemic, meaning they
occur nowhere else on Earth.

From the legendary aye-aye and ghostlike indri to the leaping, vocal
sifakas and the more familiar ring-tailed lemurs, Madagascar is home
to a remarkable assortment of primates. Not only does this make
Madagascar a coveted travel destination for those cultivating
a "life list" of primate species, but it puts a tremendous
conservation burden on the Malagasy government to balance human
needs with wildlife needs.

The fossil record proves that primate extinction has already
happened. Madagascar's current primate diversity is nothing compared
to what existed 1,500 to 2,000 years ago when humans first arrived
on the island At that time twenty-two genera and forty-seven primate
species were still alive, including a species of lemur that grew
larger than an adult male gorilla. Since then, an estimated 85
percent of the island's tropical forests have been slashed and
burned for wood and agricultural land. The badly eroded, nutrient-
depleted soils threaten the remaining forests. As a result, roughly
70 percent of the island's endemic primate population is in some
type of trouble, with several species on the verge of extinction.


GRAY MOUSE LEMUR (Microcebus murinus)

Because of their small size and ability to thrive in altered
habitats, mouse lemurs are one of the most abundant, widespread
species of lemurs in Madagascar. Only a few forests do not contain
them. With elongated bodies and short legs, these nocturnal
omnivores move on all fours over the tree branches to feed on
insects and small vertebrates such as chameleons, frogs, and geckos.
They also eat gum and sap, and flowers, fruit, and leaves, During
the day they curl up to sleep in small nests made from dead leaves
or in holes in trees. Weighing only two to three ounces
(seasonally), mouse Lemurs are one of the smallest living lemurs,
and are among the smallest of all primates. Females usually give
birth to twins in November and carry their offspring around in their
mouths or the first three weeks of the babies' lives. These tiny;
nocturnal prosimians move quadrupedally on short legs through the
forest's tree canopy, feeding on insects and small vertebrates.

GREATER DWARF LEMUR (Cheirogaleus major)

Greater dwarf Lemurs inhabit the eastern rain forests of Madagascar,
where they sleep in small groups by day and forage mostly alone at
night. After dark, they vocalize with high-pitched whistling calls,
thought to be territorial. As dwarf lemurs move through the trees in
search of fruit, gums, and insects, they mark the branches with
glandular secretions. As part of this olfactory communication, they
also deposit cylindrical trails of feces that differ from their
normal pattern of defecation. Greater dwarf lemurs build up fat
deposits in their tails to help carry them through the southern
winter from July to September. Because or its large range, small
size, and nocturnal habits, it is one of the least endangered of the
Malagasy lemurs.

FAT-TAILED DWARF LEMUR (Cheirogaleus medius)

There is a reason that the fat-tailed dwarf Lemur of Madagascar has
a pudgy appendage. This species hibernates for up to six months each
year in the dry winter months, metabolizing the fat reserves in its
tail and body until the rains return in November. Solitary foragers
by night and communal dozers by day, as many as five of these little
Lemurs will share a tree hole. Measuring just sixteen to twenty
inches from head to tail this wide-ranging species inhabits the dry
deciduous forests of western and southern Madagascar. This nocturnal
omnivore eats fruit and flowers, a. well as insects and small
vertebrates such as chameleons. Its small size, large geographic
distribution, and complete disappearance during a six-month
hibernation have helped preserve this species.

GRAY BAMBOO LEMUR (Hapalemur griseus)

Weighing up to two pounds, gray bamboo lemurs of Madagascar live in
small, monogamous family groups of an adult pair with their young.
They produce a variety of sounds, including contact calls between
mother and young, mating calls between the sexes, group cohesive
calls, and loud "kree" or alarm calls. These small lemurs live
wherever reeds or bamboo grow, in the swampy areas and bamboo
thickets of Madagascar. Their teeth are specialized for removing the
other sheath of bamboo. With hindlimbs much longer than fore these
endangered lemurs prefer vertical resting postures. They are built
to leap easily between vertical bamboo stalks.

WHITE- FOOTED SPORTIVE LEMUR (Lepilemur leucopus)

To date seven species of sportive lemurs are recognized, Very little
is known about most of these medium- sized lemurs, and debate
continues about their taxonomic division. All are nocturnal.,
vertical clingers and leapers with elongated legs used to catapult
through the canopy. Their range encircles the coastal forests of
Madagascar, where the principal threat to their survival is loss of
habitat to pasture land. Hunters use wooden traps to capture
sportive lemurs for food. They also remove them from their day- time
sleeping sites. Big eyes indicate that this species is nocturnal. At
night these one-pound vegetarians leap through the canopy in search
of leaves and flowers.

RING-TAILED LEMUR (Lemur catta)

Named for its eye-catching black-and- white tail, this day-active
primate is one of the most terrestrial species of lemurs native to
Madagascar. It is also probably the best known. Ring-tailed Lemurs
inhabit the dry scrub and deciduous and gallery forests of south and
southwestern Madagascar where they live in groups of three to twenty
individuals. Females are dominant over males and remain in their
birth groups. Infants begin riding on their mothers' backs within
two weeks of birth. However, in spite of such close contact, only
about 40 percent reach maturity. Ring-tailed lemurs use their banded
tails for more than just visual signals. They also use them
to "stink fight." After rubbing their tails in secretions from their
wrist glands, they flick them at their rivals during conflicts.
Until 1988, the genus Lemur induced the ring-tailed Lemurs plus the
five species now designated as Eulemur or true lemurs. DNA analysis
prompted the reclassification. Although familiar to most people,
considered vulnerable in its wild habitat of stalks. Named for its
enormous black-and-white tail, the ring-tailed lemur spends as much
time on the ground as it does in trees. Holding their tails aloft,
ring-tails use their long, bushy appendages for dramatic visual
signals.

COMMON BROWN LEMUR (Eulemur fulvus fulvus)

Weighing little more than five pounds, brown lemurs are distinctive
for their lack of sexual dimorphism--both sexes look the same right
down to their light beards and dark faces. Group size varies from
three To twelve lemurs on the Madagascar mainland, and from two to
twenty-nine on the Comoro Islands. The widespread distribution of
this species is partly explained by their seasonally flexible diet
of fruit leaves, and flowers. They also show high rates of fiber
digestion and an elevated tolerance for plant alkaloids and tannins.
Researchers think such dietary flexibility helps reduce feeding
competition within groups--and the need for female dominance. As is
trite for all lemur species, sense of smell is erucial. Their
pointed muzzles with moist rhinaria (the area of naked skin
surrounding the nostrils) helps them pick tip olfactory signals from
each other.

RED-FRONTED BROWN LEMUR (Eulemur fulvus rufus)

The red-fronted brown lemur is found in the eastern and western
deciduous forests of Madagascar. Depending on habitat, this tabby-
sized prosimian shows a great deal of variability in its behavior.
Western populations eat the leaves, flowers, bark, and sap from the
kily tree. Eastern populations have been observed eating fruit, bird
nests, insects and dirt. Group size ranges from four to eighteen
individuals. Red- fronted brown lemurs show a pattern of seasonal
reproduction. They mate in June, give birth in September and
October, and wean their young by January. One of the best places to
see the red-fronted brown lemur is at the Ranomafana National Park
in eastern Madagascar. Here, they move quadrupedally through the
canopy feeding on plants.

SANFORD'S BROWN LEMUR (Eulemur fulvus sanfordi)

Active at night as well as by day, Sanford's brown lemur is
restricted to the evergreen forests at the northern- most tip of
Madagascar. Weighing nearly five pounds, these fruit-eating
prosimians occasionally add invertebrate protein, including spiders
millipedes, and centipedes, to their mostly plant diet. Group size
varies by habitat from three to fifteen individuals, The lavish off-
white, cream, or slightly reddish ear tufts on the mates help
identify this subspecies in the wild. Shared traits include sexual
dichromatism (color differences between the sexes), quadrupedal
locomotion, a medium or cat-sized body build and a preference for
nocturnal activity.

BLACK LEMUR (Eulemur macaco macaco)

Striking sexual dimorphism makes it difficult to confuse this five-
pound, brown-eyed lemur with any other lemur species. The males are
uniformly black, moluding their long ear tufts, while the female's
dark dorsal coat is highlighted by deep rust sides and white ear
tufts. Found in disturbed and undisturbed forests of northwestern
Madagascar, black lemurs feed on ripe fruit, leaves, flowers, and an
occasional insect. Group size ranges from two to fifteen
individuals, with the average size about ten. Females give birth to
a single young between September and November. Black lemurs are
killed by humans when thy raid crops and are sometimes poached in
nature reserves. The best place to see a black Lemur in the wild is
on Madagascar's offshore island, Nosy Komba. A male black lemur
looks almost leopard-like. Females of this dichromatic species are
dominant over males for limited resources such as ripe fruit and
trees suitable for sleeping.

SCLATER'S BLACK LEMUR (Eulemur macaco flavifrons)

Sclater's black lemurs are a yet-unstudied subspecies of black Lemur
native to the dry forests and coffee and citrus plantations of north-
  west Madagascar. Because they do not live in any protected areas,
this blue-eyed subspecies is considered to be critically endangered
because of hunting, trapping and habitat destruction. Only hybrids
with brown eyes occur in the southern part of the Manongarivo
Special Reserve.

CROWNED LEMUR (Eulemur coronatus)

Of the five species of the Eulemur genus, the crowned lemur is one
of The smallest weighing about four pounds. Male and female crowned
lemurs do not look alike. The females have short, gray, body hair
and pale cheeks and throats while the males are covered with dark
gray-brown hair and have dark tails and black noses. Their preferred
habitat is the dry forests of Madagascar, where they eat fruit,
young leaves, flowers, and insects. Although mostly diurnal, crowned
lemurs also travel and feed at night. Vocalizations are used to
maintain group contact while foraging.

MONGOOSE LEMUR (Eulemur mongoz)

Mongoose lemurs are medium-sized, sexually dichromatic prosimians
native to northwestern Madagascar. Introduced populations also live
on the Comoro Islands of Moheli and Anjouan. Olfactory communication
in this species is well developed. Mongoose lemurs use the glands on
their wrists, palms, elbows, soles, chests, face, and genitals to
communicate location, gender, and reproductive state. During the dry
season, they feed on nectar, adding occasional flowers, leaves, and
fruit. The mongoose lemur of Madagascar adjusts its daily activity
pattern to season and climate. With the onset of the dry season in
June, it shifts from diurnal to nocturnal activity.

BLACK-AND-WHITE RUFFED LEMUR (Varecia variegata variegata)

The boisterous alarm calls of Madagascar's blackened-white ruffed
lemurs begin as a grunt and end as a roar. The females form the core
of each group and cooperate to defend their territory. Ruffed lemurs
are the largest of the quadrupedal lemurs (those that move on all
fours). Characteristics that distinguish them from other species are
their loud, raucous calls, striking coloration, and ears "puffed"
with long, thick hair. Black-and-white ruffed lemurs inhabit the
coastal rain forests of eastern Madagascar, where they are able to
hang upside-down by their feet to reach edible morsels. They are the
most frugivorous of any living lemur, feeding on nectar, seeds, and
leaves when fruit isn't available. Hunting and habitat destruction
have left this species endangered throughout its range. Their bright
yellow eyes are offset by otherwise dark faces.

RED RUFFED LEMUR (Varecia variegata rubra)

A red ruffed lemur displays the small white patch of fur on its neck
that breaks up its otherwise flame-red coat. The only place to see
this endangered primate in the wild is on Madagascar's Masoala
Peninsula. The red ruffed lemur is one of the most beautiful
primates. Its deep rust-red fur offsets a jet-black face and
extremities. In the sunlight, its coat looks like it is on fire. Red
ruffed lemurs are another critically endangered species of primates,
They are restricted to the remaining forests of the Masoala
Peninsula in northeastern Madagascar. Olfaction is well developed in
these exclusively arboreal primates. Females normally give birth to
twins, but births of three to five infants have also been reported.
This seems possible since female ruffed lemurs have three sets of
nipples. In 1964, Masoala Nature Reserve the only protected area in
their limited range, was down listed to permit logging. Red ruffed
lemurs are also trapped and eaten as food. Efforts are now underway
to reestablish a protected area for these endangered primates.

VERREAUX'S SIFAKA (Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi)

Verreaux's sifakas are diurnal prosimians that live in small groups
of two to twelve individuals. Short forelimbs and long hindlimbs
make it passable for sifakas to vertically cling and leap through
their arboreal habitat. To digest their diet of plant cellulose,
they rely on bacteria-aided fermentation. So efficient is their
absorption of fluid from plant materials that the only water they
supposedly drink is the early-morning dew, which they lick off their
fur. At birth, infants are nearly hairless and have black skin. The
predominantly white fur with brown-capped white head identify this
languorous primate as a Verreaux's sifaka. When active, its long
legs are used for vertical clinging and leaping through the trees.

COQUEREL'S SIFAKA (Propithecus verreauxi coquereli)

Covered with dense body hair, COQUEREL's sifaka is distinguishable
from other sifaka species by its all- white head and maroon chest
and shoulder fur. Weighing nearly eight pounds, this diurnal leaper
is found in evergreen and mixed deciduous forests in reserves in
northwestern Madagascar. Infants are born during the months of June
and July. During the first month, infants cling to the mother's
chest. Soon after, they transfer to her back for acrobatic rides
through the forest. The young reach adult size after one year.
Sifakas use their long tails to help balance and steer as they move.
COQUEREL's sifaka has a characteristic black face, white head, and
blazing yellow. Named for the loud "si-fak" calls it makes, the
endangered COQUEREL's sifaka is now restricted almost entirely to
Madagascar's Ankarafantsika Nature Reserve and the Bora Special
Reserve.

COQUEREL'S DWARF LEMUR (Mirza coquereli)

Native to Madagascar's western dry deciduous forests. Coquerel's
dwarf lemur holds the distinction of being the only species within
the genus Mirca. Both dental features and behavioral traits
distinguish this species from other dwarf lemurs. Weighing a little
less then ten ounces, or three times as much as a mouse lemur, this
nocturnal prosimian has large ears and eyes ideal for pursuing a
diet of fruit, flowers, insects, frogs, and chameleons at night.
Rapid quadrupedal running over branches best describes the preferred
locomotion through the forest. The Coquerel's dwarf lemur is an
agile, night-active omnivore native top Madagascar. When not running
on all fours through the forest canopy, it clings to tree trunks,
hangs upside-down from branches, and leaps through the foliage.
GOLDEN-CROWNED or TATTERSALL'S SIFAKA (Propithecus tattersali)
Considered another critically endangered lemur species from
Madagascar the golden-crowned sifaka was first formally described to
science in 1988. Restricted to remnant forest patches in northern
Madagascar, it has one of the smallest documented populations and
limited distributions of all lemurs. This Long-limbed, vertically
leaping prosimian with protruding ears produces a clearly
enunciated "si-fak!" call to warn of predators. Unprotected in any
national park or wildlife reserve, this rare species continues to
lose habitat to periodic brush fires and agriculture. They are also
hunted for food.. This species produces special warning sounds to
distinguish between avian arid terrestrial predators.

INDRI (Indri indri)

The indri is the largest lemur native to Madagascar (others that
were larger are now extinct) and one of the most endangered. Its
vestigial tail and large twelve pound size distinguish it from all
other species; so do its melodious gibbon-like calls. Its dramatic
black-and-white coloration helps to break up its outline in the
canopy. The prominent ears are tufted and always black, while the
size and location of the white fur patches on its otherwise black
coat can vary by geographic location. Active by day, indris are
vertical clingers and leapers that inhabit Madagascar's eastern rain
forests. They live in small monogamous family groups dominated by
the adult female. Territorial boundaries are demarcated with scent
marks and defended vocally with loud howls and barks.
Called "babakoto" by the people of Madagascar the indri is included
in many local creation stories about the origin of people. In
Malagasy the name "indri" translates literally to "There it is!"

AYE-AYE (Daubentonia madagascariensis)

Tooth marks on tree trunks and gnawed coconuts are a sure sign that
an insect-hunting aye-aye is near. About the size of a house cat,
with yellow eyes, grizzled brown fur, and long bony digits, the
nocturnal aye aye has been called both beautiful and ugly.
Resembling an escapee from the film Gremlins, this strange looking
animal resembles no other primate on earth. With oversized ears, a
pinched face, puffy foxlike tail, and digits that look like witches'
fingers, the aye-aye was first classified as a squirrel. It is
another of the highly endangered members of the lemur group--
classified in its own separate family. Like a woodpecker, the aye
aye uses its mobile, batlike ears to listen for the sounds of beetle
grubs hidden underneath tree bark. Once Located, it tears into the
bark with its four continuously growing incisors, then uses its
long, skinny middle finger to probe the wood for soft grubs. Able to
bend in every direction, even backward to touch its forearm, this
specialized digit is used to tap tree trunks, poke~holes in eggs,
and extract milk from coconuts. Aye ayes are endangered due to
habitat loss-and superstition Legend has it that if an aye-aye
points its bony third finger at you, you will die a swift and
horrible death. As a result, many Malagasy villagers kill them on
sight. The aye-aye best exemplifies the "curse of the uncuddly." Its
grisled hair, bat-like ears, and glow-in-the-dark nocturnal eyes
have spooked many Malagasy people to this harmless primate, rather
than endearing it to them.

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AFRICA

From the small, nocturnal, branch-leaping galagos to the hefty
chimpanzees and gorillas, our closest relatives, the "dark
continent" is home to seventy-two species of primates. This
remarkable diversity includes some of the most colorful species,
such as the red, blue, and lavender-hued mandrills, the beautifully
patterned guenons, and the caped and plume-tailed black-and-white
colobus monkeys. Most of Africa's primate species inhabit the sub-
Saharan Guinea-Congolian forest block, but a few can be found in
drier habitats, including the barbary macaques native to arid North
Africa.
Uganda's Kibale Forest in the foothills east of the Ruwenzori
Mountains is one of the richest primate-viewing areas in Africa.
Here, eleven species find protection in this single reserve. A
network of trails through the reserve's equatorial forest makes it
possible to observe many, including olive baboons, blue monkeys, red
colobus, gray-cheeked mangabeys, even chimpanzees.
However, of the ninety-two countries in the world in which primates
live, it is the African nations of Zaire and Cameroon that contain
eighteen primate genera each. These numbers are significant, since
twenty-one genera inhabit the entire African continent. Zaire
provides precious habitat for thirty-seven primate species, Cameroon
for thirty-two, making both African countries extremely important in
terms of species diversity and primate conservation.

POTTO (Perodicticus potto)

Pottos are native to the tropical forests of Africa from Guinea,
West Africa, to Kenya. At nights they move slowly through the
canopy, feeding mostly on fruits. They also eat leaves and animal
protein in the form of ants, slugs, caterpillars, and beetles.
Coarse guard hairs protrude from she back of the neck where the
lower cervical vertebrae and the first thoracic vertebrae have been
elongated into sub-citaneous spines that help protect she potto's
spinal cord and blood vessels against attacks by predators. Pottos
often copulate while hanging by their feet from a branch. A single
young is born after a gestation period of about six and a half
months. While foraging at night, the mother often parks her infant
on a branch for later retrieval .The hands of the African potto are
specially adapted for gripping tree branches. The index linger has
been reduced to a tubercle and the thumb has migrated 180 degrees to
face the other digits for more powerful pincher-like grasping. A
claw on the second toe is used for self-grooming. By rubbing urine
on their hands and feet, female pottos leave important olfactory
messages for all male pottos that fellow.

LESSER BUSHBABY or GALA GO (Galago senegalensis)

Native to Africa, these small, eleven ounce insectivores are one of
the most widespread African primates. They inhabit most forested
savanna areas south of the Sahara Desert. The reflective eye shine
of their enormous nocturnal eyes reveals their arboreal location as
they leap from branch to branch. Galagos use secretions from glands
on their face, chest, arms, elbows, palms, and soles to leave
olfactory messages for those that follow. They also "urine wash" as
a means of marking and identifying themselves to other galagos.
Females can breed twice each year, usually producing twins after a
four-to five-month gestation period. The mother carries her young in
her mouth for the first two weeks of life, parking them on branches
while she feeds almost exclusively on acacia gums and insects.
Without making contact, a male can monitor a female's reproductive
condition so that he's on hand when she is ready to mate. The lesser
galago has an active acrobatic nightlife. Its enormous eyes and
large mobile ears are used to scan the dark for insect prey. With
elongated lower limbs, strong thigh muscles, and specialized ankle
joints, galagos can make vertical leaps of seven feet or more
through the trees. Round flat pads on their fingertips enable them
to firmly grip the branches. Brad and Trouble.

GREATER BUSHBABY or THICK-TAILED BUSHBABY (Otolemur crassicaudatus)

Weighing around four pounds, the greater bushbaby is the largest of
the galagos. Unlike its smaller Leaping cousins, this nocturnal
primate relies more on quadrupedal walking and running to move
through the low open forests and woodland savannas of south-central
Africa. Twins are typically born in November when food and cover for
concealment are most available. Although fruits and gums are their
favorite foods, they will also eat slow-moving insects and birds if
given the chance. The greater or thick tailed bushbaby of Africa has
been killed for its meat and fur and captured for the pet trade. As
a result, it is protected by law in South Africa. In contrast to its
cautious quadrupedal movement through the trees, the greater
bushbaby or Africa can bound like a kangaroo when on the ground,
making rapid bipedal leaps.

GRAY-CHEEKED MANGABEY (Lophocebus albigena)

Gray-cheek mangabey inhabit the primary evergreen forests, disturbed
secondary forests, and flooded swamp forests of western Uganda,
Kenya, Tanzania Zaire, and Rwanda. Adult males have laryngeal sacs
that they use to produce long, "whoop-gobble" calls. These loud
calls are used to maintain distance between groups and identify the
animal calling. Gray-cheeked mangabeys also produce baboon-like
grunts, staccato barks, and resonating screams. Primarily fruit-
eaters, these opportunistic primates raid fields for maize, peanuts
and sweet potatoes. As a result they are killed as pests and hunted
for food.

CHERRY-CROWNED MANGABEY (Cercocebus torquatus)

Named for the reddish cap of hair on their heads, these large
slender monkeys can also be identified by the way they carry their
tail, held parallel over their backs. Mangabeys fill up their large
cheek pouches with fruits, leaves, and insects as they forage during
the day. Groups range in size from three to twenty-five individuals
or more, and are characterized by a linear hierarchy of adult
females. Males leave their natal group when they become sexually
mature. The cherry-crowned mangabey is listed as an endangered
species throughout its forested range in central West Africa. The
species is continuing to decline because of poaching and
deforestation. Like baboons, mangabeys use their eyes, white eyelids
and canines to embellish facial expressions.

ANUBIS or OLIVE BABOON (Papio anubis)

Anubis or olive baboons are named after the dark olive-gray color of
their coats. Highly adaptable, these 50 to 110 pound primates
inhabit the semidesert steppe, arid thorn scrub, open grasslands,
plains, savanna rocky hills, woodlands, and gallery and tropical
rain forests of sub-Saharan Africa from Mali to northern Tanzania.
Olive baboons communicate with each other using a variety of
gestures, facial expressions, and body postures. They also have more
than fifteen different vocalizations many are thought to communicate
specific information about their environment--such as, "leopard,
watch out!" Troop size varies from eight to one hundred or more
members, with larger groups having more than one resident male.
Males greet each other in an elaborate ritual of touching and
mounting with active facial and vocal signaling. A stable male
dominance hierarchy provides structure for the entire troop A
healthy mother-infant bond is critical for the emotional well-being
and ultimate survival of young primates

CHACMA BABOON (Papio ursinus)

Chacma baboons inhabit the grasslands, woodland savanna, and acacia
scrub of southern Africa. They are the most southern-ranging of all
baboon species. At birth infants have conspicuous pink faces and
oversized, pink flapping ears. This effect is lost within the first
year as they mature. Baboons have been described as "dog-faced," due
to their extremely elongated faces. Their Long muzzles not only
house large canine teeth, but provide a greater surface area for
grinding grasses, roots, and tubers with their molars. Small
mammals, insects, and birds' eggs are also on the menu, along with
crustaceans, which chacma baboons eat along the sea coasts of South
Africa. Cheek pouches that open near the lower teeth make it
possible for baboons to eat on the run. Should feeding conditions
become too competitive, or unsafe, baboons quickly grab and stuff
food into their cheek pouches for later dining at leisure.

HAMADRYAS BABOON (Papio hamadryas)

As true for all species of Old World monkeys, hamadryas baboons rely
on a rich repertoire of vocalizations, facial and body gestures, and
olfactory and tactile signals to communicate with each other. These
signals help an adult male coordinate the activity of his group of
females and young typically numbering up to twelve individuals.
Hamadryas have an interesting social structure, made nip of varying
combinations of one-male units. By day, the units merge to form
foraging groups of twenty to seventy individuals. At night hundreds
of baboons may gather to share limited steeping cliffs. The silver-
gray coat and heavy, long-haired shoulder cape distinguish this
primate as a male hamadryas baboon. These large quadrupedal primates
range from Ethiopia to the extreme southwestern tip of Saudi Arabia.
In ancient Egypt, this species was revered as sacred.

DRILL (Mandrill leucophaeus)

Drills are large, forest-dwelling primates native to western Central
Africa. They live in one-male and multmale groups that can combine
to form large troops of one hundred fifty or more. Male drills are
brilliantly colored around the genitals. Here the colors range from
bright red, blue, and light purple to lilac and pink. The male's
rainbow-hued posterior is said to serve as a beacon when he leads
his group single-file through the forest. More likely, their flashy
rear ends provide powerful social and sexual signals to females as
well as rival males. The black facemask and ears, tufted white
beard, and searlet lower lip identify this primate as a male drill.
The massive muzzle with prominent bony swellings on either side of
the nose also indicates that this is a male. Not only do their
skulls show marked sexual dimorphism, but so do their canines. This
endangered species is native to the rain and riverine forests of
western Central Africa, specifically Cameroon, southeast Nigeria,
and the island of Bioko, once known as Fernando Poo. In addition to
visual signals, male drills communicate with a series of deep grunts
and produce a loud, high-pitched "crowing" vocalization used for
long-range contact. As if their size and appearance were not
intimidating enough, they "threat jerk" toward rivals by abruptly
thrusting their heads forward, retracting their eyelids, puckering
their lips, and raising the medial crest on their heads.

MANDRILL (Mandrillus sphinx)

The largest of all monkeys, mandrills are a forested version of
Africa's terrestrial baboons. A brightly colored male has the
massive muzzle, grooved blue nasal swellings, and barn-red nose
characteristic off the species. Mandrills are forest dwellers that
inhabit the dense, primary rain forests of Cameroon, Equatorial
Guinea, Gabon, and the Congo. The females and young climb into the
trees to feed while the males spend most of their time on the ground
The male genitals are brightly colored--violet, red, and blue. These
same hues appear on their faces, framed with yellow-orange beards
and whiskers. Mandrills live in one-male units that occasionally
aggregate into larger herds. The vivid colors both fore and aft help
the males coordinate group movement. Coloration of the females and
young is much less dramatic than in the adult males.

GELADA (Theropithicus gelada)

Geladas are dramatic primates. Sexual dimorphism is most pronounced
in this species--in size, weight, canine development, and the shape
and size of the bare skin patches exposed on their chests. When in
heat, the females' pink, hourglass-shaped chest patches become
swollen and fluid-filled, signaling her readiness to mate. Only the
males sport long, heavy manes that flow over their shoulders. These
are tossed about during aggressive displays, which also include
ground-slapping threats, white eyelid flashes, and the species'
famous facial grimace--the "lip flip"--when the upper lip is flipped
back to reveal the white teeth and gums of the upper jaw. Geladas
inhabit the montane grasslands of the high, treeless plateau between
the deep gorges of northern and central Ethiopia. Here they live in
one-male groups of up to twenty individuals that congregate into
larger foraging parties by day when food is plentiful. To avoid
predators, geladas also congregate into larger herds at night to
sleep along the steep cliffs of the gorges. As many as four hundred
geladas have been counted in such sleeping groups. Typical of ground-
dwelling primates, geladas show striking sexual dimorphism and can
form large groups, depending on available resources. The males use
dramatic facial displays to intimidate other geladas, including
white eyelid flashes and rapid "lip flips" of the upper lip to
reveal their white gums, teeth, and large canines.

VERVET MONKEY (Cercopithecus aethrops johnstoni)

Vervet monkeys are probably one of the most familiar and most
studied, species of African guenons, because they are so abundant
and widespread. Only the availability of sleeping trees and water
seems to affect their distribution. Vervets easily adapt to human
intrusion. They differ from the other guenon species by being the
smallest and most terrestrial. These opportunistic omnivores forage
primarily for fruits and seeds, but will also eat flowers, eggs,
baby birds and lizards. In parts of West Africa, the vervet mon key
is considered a delicacy. Vervet monkeys use separate alarm calls
for different kinds of predators, such as eagles, pythons, and
leopards. Crowned and martial eagles as well as leopards frequently
prey on these active, vocal monkeys. As true for the young of all
highly intelligent animals, play behavior helps perfect the social
and physical skills required in adulthood. The blue scrotum and red
penis against white inner thighs identifies this primate as a male
vervet monkey. Adult males use their colorful genitalia during "red,
white, and blue" dominance displays.

SCHMIDT'S or RED-TAILED MONKEY (Ceropithecus ascanius)

Named for its copper-red tail, this African guenon is one of five
subspecies. Heart-shaped white facial hair around the nose gives
these plant-eating monkeys a flat-nosed appearance. Unlike other
guenons, the males do not produce the characteristic "boom" calls.
One-male groups are the most common social organization. While some
groups never have more than one male, others may have three or more
during an influx of extra group male. Because the males come and go,
females with their young form the permanent care of the group. The
adult females even defend their territories. Cheek pouches enable
guenons to feed rapidly and then retire to safety to chew and
swallow their food at leisure.

DIANA MONKEY (Cercopithecus diana)

Cheek pouches are well developed in all guenons, including the Diana
monkey of West Africa. This beautifully marked primate uses its tail
to balance as it leaps through the trees, Diana monkeys differ from
other guenons by their black faces with white ruff and beard and the
white stripe that runs down each thigh.. Group size ranges from
fourteen to fifty individuals. During the day they feed on fruit
seeds, leaves and arthropods. Diana monkeys are protected in three
national parks and three forest reserves of Africa. A Diana monkey,
native to the forests of West Africa, displays its colorful coat.
Apparently it is a coat to die for, as many of these monkeys have
been killed for their striking pelts.

OWL-FACED MONKEY(Cercopithecus hamlyni)

Guenons are the most common monkeys of Africa, of which there are at
least twenty different species. Although similar in body build,
their coat color is extremely variable. The distinctive white nose
stripe and bright blue genitals help distinguish Hamlyn's owl-faced
monkey from other species, This semiterrestrial primate ranges from
eastern Zaire to southwestern Uganda in lowland, bamboo, and montane
forests at elevations up to 12,000 feet or more. Adult males produce
audible "boom" calls that carry great distances through the forest.
The white brow-to-lip racing stripe and owl-like ruff of fur
encircling the head identify this monkey as a Ramlyn's owl- faced
guenon, native to the forests of Zaire and Uganda.

L'HOEST MONKEY (Ceropithecus lhoesti)

When chased by people, this African monkey flees on the ground,
making it one of the more terrestrial of the African guenons. It
also has one of the broadest muzzles, which turns bright violet in
the adult mate. Group size varies from five to twenty-five
individuals, depending on available resources. Because the average
group tenure for any adult male lasts only about three months,
competition among males is intense for such coveted breeding
positions. Humans are the most serious threat to the LHoest monkey,
because of habitat destruction and hunting for its pelt and meat.
The semiterrestrial LHoest monkey in Uganda's Kibale National Park,
is one of more than twenty species of guenons native to the forests
of Africa. It frequently spends time in the lower canopy fifteen
feet or more from the ground.

BLUE MONKEY (Ceropithecus mitis)

Found from Ethiopia to Zambia, blue monkeys have the widest
distribution of all ceropithecine primates. Most guenons, such as
the blue monkey, inhabit the forests of West and Central Africa.
However, of all the guenon species, it is the blue monkey that
occupies the most diverse habitats, inducing primary forest, montane
bamboo forest, coastal scrub, and dry woodland. Primarily arboreal,
blue monkeys are quick and agile in the trees. Female preference
drives blue monkey reproduction. When receptive, females solicit
males through conspicuous postures and facial expressions. A single
offspring is produced following a five- to six-month gestation
period.

DE BRAZZA'S MONKEY (Ceropithecus neglectus)

Known for its colorful face, the De Brazza's monkey is one of the
largest and most sexually dimorphic of the ceropilhecines. Males
average fourteen pounds, females only eight. Like other species of
guenons, De Brazza's monkeys share the trait of age color changes.
The bright orange crest of fur above the eyebrow ridges and white
beard identify this species as a De Brazza's monkey. These arboreal
primates prefer dense vegetation near streams and rivers in East and
Central Africa. Unafraid of water, they do not hesitate to leap into
a stream if it needs to be crossed. In addition to facial displays,
auditory vocalizations, and body posturing De Brazza's monkeys use
secretions from their sternal glands to communicate with each other.
Grooming also plays an important role in group cohesion and
maintenance of social relationships among kin.

PATAS MONKEY(Erythrocebus patas)

When water is available, patas monkeys drink regularly. When it is
not, these desert-adapted primates survive by using the moisture
from their food. Patas monkeys inhabit the open woodlands and
savanna of West and East Africa. Thanks to their cheetah-like gait,
they hold the record for being the fastest of the terrestrial
primates. By rising up on their digits, they can ran up to fifty
kilometers an hour. Sexually dimorphic in size and weight, males
weigh twenty-four pounds, females half that. Females synchronize
their reproductive cycles so that most infants are born during the
dry season between December and January. By the time the youngsters
are old enough to wean at four to five months of age, the wet season
vegetation is most abundant. Males produce alarm barks to warn of
cat predators; females and juveniles give high-pitched chirps. For
greater protection from predators at night, these ground-dwelling
primates sleep in trees.

RED COLOBUS (Procolobus badius tephrosceles)

Red colobus monkeys forage for leaves in the tropical rain forests
and gallery forests of East and Central Africa. Aside from eating,
colobus spend a great deal of their day doing nothing. This
inactivity is thought to be the result of their specialized
digestive systems, since fermentation of plant material is a slow
process. Multimale red colobus groups as large as eighty individuals
have been recorded. Infanticide by adult males does occur. In the
Kibale Forest of western Uganda, red colobus share the same habitat
with black-and-white colobus. This is possible because the two
species do not compete for similar foods. Lacking thumbs for
opposable grasping, colobus monkeys simply use a hook grip to pull
the leaves to their mouths.

ABYSSINIAN BLACK-AND-WHITE COLOBUS (Colobus guereza occidentalis)

ANGOLAN BLACK-AND-WHITE COLOBUS (Colobus angolensis angolensis)

A group of black-and-white colobus monkeys (C. guereza occidentalis)
takes a feeding break high in a tree in Uganda's Kibale Forest. To
process their diet of bulky plant material, colobus's stomachs are
enlarged and divided into compartments. This gives most leaf-eating
monkeys a rather pot-bellied appearance. Colobus monkeys are the
largest of the African co!obines, or leaf-eating monkeys. These
boldly marked arboreal primates have beautiful plume-like tails that
measure one and a third times their head and body length. Reduced
thumbs and unusually long fingers make it possible for colobus to
use their arms to swing through the trees in search of food. They
eat fruit, young and old leaves, flowers, and twigs. Their large
four-chambered stomachs digest plant cellulose through bacterial
fermentation. To expel the methane and carbon dioxide produced as a
byproduct, colobus often belch in each other's faces as a friendly
social gesture. Their specialized digestive system enables them to
eat leaf diets that other primates can't. The social organization of
colobus monkeys consists or a single adult male with several females
and their young. Black-and-white colobus infants are born pure
white. However, not all survive: cases of infanticide have been
documented when a new male takes over a group of females with young.
(C. guereza occidentatalis) The flowing white mantle and long white-
tipped tails of the black-and-white colobus monkeys (C. angolensis
angolensis) stand out in sharp contrast to East Africa's green
forest. Their dramatic coats serve as visual signals not each only
to other, but also to poachers who profit from the illegal sale of
their exotic pelts. A black-and-white colobus monkey (C. guereza
occidentalis) prefers food-leaves with some fruit and flowers-grows
in the forest canopy.

BONOBO or PYGMY CHIMPANZEE (Pan paniscus)

Reduced male aggression, strong affiliative bonds between males and
females, and frequent sex characterize bonobo society. These rare
apes are found only in Zaire, in the forests south of the Lualaba
and Zaire rivers. One of two species of chimpanzees, the bonobo or
pygmy chimpanzee inhabits a restricted area of tropical rain forest
in Zaire. It differs from the more abundant chimpanzee (Pan
troglodytes) not so much in size but by having a more rounded head,
lighter build, and relatively longer legs. Bonobos also seem to be
more acrobatic, jumping from tree to tree. Like all apes, they have
no tails. The only apparent sexual dimorphism is in their canines-
even community ranges are shared equally between the sexes. Their
reproductive history explains why bonobos are vulnerable. Females
first give birth at age twelve or thirteen. Subsequent births then
occur every five to five and a half years after each offspring is
weaned at around four to five years of age. Even after weaning the
young remain emotionally dependent on the mother for several more
years. Communication been bonobos is varied. They use sounds, body
gestures, facial grimaces, and sexual gestures to convey mood and
intent. Because they freely use their bands to gesture, bonobos have
been used in laboratory studies of sign language. The Bonobo
Protection Fund was founded in 1990 to protect the bonobo while
educating the people of Zaire about the importance of their
conservation. Bonobos are hunted as food, killed to produce charms
and trinkets, and sold to an illegal pet trade. Accelerating habitat
loss also threatens their future. For those who still dispute our
relationship to nonhuman primates, the A antigen of the bonobo or
pygmy chimpanzee (Pan paniscis) is indistinguishable from the A1
antigen of Homo sapiens.

CHIMPANZEE (Pan troglodytes)

Grooming is a social activity that helps reinforce the bonds between
primates. Classified as a great ape, the chimpanzee of West,
Central, and East Africa is a large primate, with males weighing
nearly one hundred and fifty pounds. Chimp society is dominated by
the adult males. In fact, male kin groups define territory. Their
aggressive raids on neighboring chimp communities can be deadly.
Chimps arm-swing and climb through trees. On the ground they move
bipedally as well as knuckle-walk. The sounds produced by
chimpanzees are complex, reflecting both their intelligence and
sophisticated social organization. They bark, squeak, grunt, pant,
laugh, and scream. In addition to fruit, leaves, and other
vegetarian fare,. male chimpanzees join together and stalk and hunt
small antelope, pigs, baboons, and monkeys particularly red colobus.
The meat is often shared. Female chimpanzees mate with a variety of
males during their period of genital swelling. However, as each
female approaches ovulation, the high- ranking males compete for
access. Aggression plays an important role in structuring chimpanzee
society. Partly arboreal and partly terrestrial chimpanzees nest in
trees at night and feed in fruit trees by day. Most of their travel,
however, is done on the ground. Recent logging activity in the
tropical forests of Gabon has triggered savage territorial wars
between chimpanzee groups. It is estimated that the chimpanzee
population has been reduced from fifty thousand to thirty thousand
since logging operations have begun. The toughened fingers of a
chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) tell of the wear and tear this hand has
experienced during a lifetime of foraging for plant material.
Chimpanzees are native to West, Central, and East Africa, where they
inhabit both forests and woodland savannas dominated by grassland.

WESTERN LOWLAND GORILLA (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)

Gorillas are the largest living primates, yet they remained unknown
to science until 1847. Researchers think that nearly half of the
existing population of western lowland gorillas inhabits Gabon where
vast tracks forest still exist. Gorillas are currently classified
with Homo sapiens in the family Hominidae. Humans and apes diverged
during the Miocene era about six to ten million years ago. Three
subspecies of gorillas are now recognized, the western lowland
gorilla, the eastern lowland gorilla, and the mountain gorilla. They
are distinguished from each other by length of body hair, variation
in coat color, and the size of their jaws and teeth. The eastern
lowland gorilla (G. g. graueri) inhabits a small area of forest from
eastern Zaire to the west of Lake Tanganyika. Like the mountain
gorilla, this subspecies has a black coat but with shorter hair.
Because of its reduced numbers and limited range, this subspecies is
listed as endangered by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). Much
can be learned about the importance of healthy mother-infant bonds
by studying primates, particularly the great apes. The western
lowland gorilla is not only the smallest and least endangered of the
three subspecies, but it has the widest distribution. This
subspecies lives in a variety of forest habitats in the Congo,
Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, the Central African Republic,
Nigeria, and Zaire. Gorillas are primarily vegetarians, eating fruit
Leaves, and plant parts. Male western lowland gorillas weigh around
300 pounds while the sexually dimorphic females weigh half as much.
When standing, an adult male can reach a height of five feet six
inches. Because of their size, gorillas are almost completely
terrestrial. At night they sleep mostly on the ground, sometimes in
trees, on cushioned nests they construct with branches and leaves.
Lowland, If female, she will have to mature for eight years before
she can reproduce. Gorillas are vulnerable to extinction because of
their slow reproductive rate. In a typical twenty-five-year period
of fertility, an adult female will produce only three offspring that
survive to breeding age. One of the distinctive features that
differentiates lowland from mountain gorillas is its nose. It has a
continuous, heart-shaped ridge all around the nostrils. Despite all
that we have learned about primate intelligence and social structure
people continue to harm these remarkable animals. Gorilla meat is
occasionally sold in the meat markets and restaurants in Cameroon,
Gabon, and the Congo Republic. Gorilla body parts are still offered
illegally to tourists as souvenir trinkets and wildlife trophies.

MOUNTAIN GORILLA (Gorilla gorilla beringei)

Almost entirely ground-dwelling, gorillas prefer open-canopy forests
that allow light to reach the forest floor. Unlike chimpanzees, wild
mountain gorillas have never been observed using tools to "fish" for
termites. Instead their diet includes roots, stems, leaves, vines,
flowers, and bamboo. Mountain gorillas are the rarest of the three
subspecies of gorillas found only in the Virunga mountains of
southwest Uganda, northwest Rwanda, and eastern Zaire. This
subspecies has the largest jaw and teeth of the three, and the
longest black hair. Adult males can weigh four hundred pounds or
more and stand six feet tall. Most of our knowledge about the
ecology and social behavior of all gorillas comes from studies of
this subspecies. At the Karisoke Research Center In Rwanda, Dian
Fossey began her field observations of wild mountain gorillas in
1968. Ongoing studies of several groups at Karisoke still continue
as they have for nearly thirty years. Disease, civil war, poaching,
and continued habitat loss have left this subspecies vulnerable to
extinction. Only about six hundred mountain gorillas remain in the
wild. Infant gorillas are invulnerable to attack front unrelated
males. During a fifteen-year research period in Rwanda, infanticide
was the cause of 38 percent of infant deaths. Among gorillas, male
protection is essential to female reproductive success, so it is in
a female's best interest to choose a quality male partner. Transfer
patterns of female gorillas between groups indicate that they
actively choose their breeding partners, who are usually the older,
more experienced silver back males. More than fifteen distinct
gorilla vocalizations have been identified, including pant-grunts,
barks. and high-pitched screeches. Such a rich vocal repertoire
reflects the complexity of gorilla social structure, first
documented by the late Dian Fossey. When a male gorilla hoots, then
growls, then puts a leaf between his lip--watch out! Next he will
rise to his full bipedal height of nearly six feet, beat his bare
chest with cupped hands to produce the characteristic "pok-pok-pok"
sound--then charge. Gorillas are sexually dimorphic. Males can weigh
twice as much as females. By the age of eleven, young males reach
sexual maturity and begin to dominate most females during aggressive
interactions.


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  ASIA

The lush tropical rain forests of south and Southeast Asia contain
thirteen primate genera and seventy-one different species-a handful
of which live in temperate Asia. From the big-eyed nocturnal
tarsiers and the slow-moving lorises to the high-speed, brachiating
gibbons that swing from tree to tree, Asia is home to some of the
most amazing--and some of the most endangered-primates. Thirty-six
species live in Indonesia alone, of which nineteen are endemic
(Found nowhere else in the world). Among them are the yellow-banded
leaf monkey native to Sumatra, the proboscis monkeys, and the
orangutans, the only reddish colored great ape in existence.
Indonesia is thus a particularly high-priority area for global
primate conservation.

SLENDER LORIS (Loris tardigradus)

The slender lofts inhabits the forests and woodlands of southern
India and Sri Lanka. Described as a banana on stilts, this small,
solitary, tail-less prosimian uses its stilt-like legs to navigate
tree branches at night with slow deliberate movement. Extremely
flexible hips and spine enable it to sleep curled up in a ball by
day and to maneuver with grace and stealth through dense forests at
night. Slender Loris rely on olfactory signals to communicate with
each other: They transfer urine to their hands and feet to leave
scent trails over the branches. Lorises' big eyes and ears enable
them to search for insects in the dark.

SLOW LORIS (Nycticebus coucang)

The Slow loris of Southeast Asia does not leap through the trees as
other primates do. Instead it uses its feet like clamps to move
methodically hand over hand through the canopy. Lorises can maintain
their grasp on branches for hours at a time because their hands are
served by a specialized capillary network that other primates lack.
They have stumps for tails and eyes that are "fixed" which means
they must move their head to change focus. As if habitat loss were
not threatening enough, slow lorises are hunted for their eyes. They
are collected as love charms and for use in Asian medicine. the slow
loris is a prosimian native to the rain forests of Southeast Asia.
Active only at night, this quiet little primate is difficult to see
in the wild. It feeds on leaves, fruit, birds' eggs, baby birds, and
insects. Reduced second digits enable the hands and feet to operate
like pincers as they slowly but tightly grip and release each tree
branch.

HORSFIELD'S TARSIER (Tarsius bancanus)

The enormous eyes of a horsfield's tarsier dominate its tiny face.
To compensate for their immobility, tarsiers can turn their heads in
owl-like fashion nearly 180 degrees in each direction. The tarsier
gets its name from its elongated tarsal bones, which are used to
propel the little primate through the canopy. As a farther
adaptation for powerful leaping, the tibia and fibula of each leg
are fused along the lower third of their length. Flat, fleshy pads
at the end of each digit help these acrobatic leapers to grip smooth
vertical surfaces. Horsfield's tarsiers live in the forests of
Borneo, Java, Sumatra, and the adjacent islands. Unique among
primates, tarsiers are exclusively predators, fueled by a diet of
animal protein in addition to insects, horsfield's tarsiers also
stalk birds, snakes, and lizards, usually eating them head first.
These nocturnal prosimians are built to vertically cling and leap
through the forest, and pounces on insect and reptilian prey they
spot on the ground.

PHILIPPINE TARSIER (Tarsius syrichta)

Philippine tarsiers live in both primary (unlogged) and secondary
(disturbed) tropical forests. They form social groups of two to six
animals consisting of a mated pair and their offspring, Vocal
communication in this species is elaborate. Family members sleep
together by day, and remain close to each other while foraging.
Philippine tarsiers have enormous eyes and large, mobile ears for
nocturnal pursuit of lizards and insects. To prevent injury during
predatory attacks and movement through the dense understory (trees
of the lower canopy), their ears can be folded close to their heads.
These small vertical clingers and leapers are named for the
elongated tarsal bones that aid their locomotion, When threatened,
Philippine tarsiers can make tremendous leaps of eighteen feet or
more. Flat pads at the end of most digits enable this small primate
to grip tree trunks when it leaps. Specialized grooming claws are
located on the second and third digits of each foot.

LONG-TAILED or CRAB-EATING MACAQUE (Macaca fascicularis)

The long-tailed or crab-eating macaques are native to the rain
forests of Southeast Asia. They are named for their long graceful
tail, which touch the ground when they walk, and their habit of
feeding on crabs and shellfish in mangrove swamps. This highly
adaptable species prefers primary riverine or coastal forests, but
can live just as easily in disturbed habitats. In many cases, human
habitat alterations have benefited this species by providing
additional food sources, such as rice cassava leaves, and taro
plants. [What a nice change to read about human habitation helping a
monkey species. Brad and Trouble] In addition to alarm calls, loud
screeches and shrieks, longtailed macaques use an animated
repertoire of facial gestures to communicate with each other, some
of which are quite subtle.

PIG-TAILED MACAQUE (Macaca nemestrina)

The mother-infant bond is critical to the survival and development
of a young primate. Pig-tailed macaques are forest monkeys native to
the primary and second-growth forests of Southeast Asia. Their short
tails, long faces, and thick whorling cap of short dark hair
identify them. Like many species of macaques, pig-tails use their
light-colored eyelids to accentuate facial gestures, including
threatening stares, pout faces, and fear grimaces. Pig-tails live in
multimale groups that subdivide to forage in the lower canopy and on
the forest floor. Compared to other species of macaques pig-tails
tend to be fairly quiet. Researchers think this is an adaptation
that helps them avoid terrestrial predators. Old World monkeys,
particularly the mandrills, baboons, geladas, and macaques, are
second only to man in the use of their opposable thumbs and
fingertips for precise manipulation of small objects.

GOLDEN or SNUB-NOSED LANGUR (Rhinopithecus roxellana)

The golden monkey or snub-nosed langur inhabits the bamboo jungles,
coniferous forests, and rhododendron thickets found in the high
mountains of central and western China. This area is snowbound in
the winter To adapt to the cold, golden monkeys have developed
robust bodies and long thick fur, particularly over their shoulders.
During winter they survive by eating slow-growing lichens. The
golden monkey's upturned nose and bright blue face are offset by
flame-orange fur. Sexual dimorphism is expressed in the greater
length of the males' canines. The males also produce wart-Like
growths at the corners of their upper lips which are considered a
secondary sexual trait. The fire-orange fur of the snub-nosed
langur, or golden monkey, has been its undoing. The monkeys are
killed for their beautiful pelts and also their bones, which are
believed by Asians to hold special medicinal powers.

PROBOSCIS MONKEY (Nasalis larvatus)

Proboscis monkeys live primarily in the mangrove swamps of Borneo,
along the estuaries and tidal creeks. Populations also extend along
rivers into areas of lowland rain forest farther inland. Proboscis
monkeys are large primates. Males weigh around forty-four pounds,
females roughly half that. They move quadrupedally through the
trees, making acrobatic leaps with arms and legs outstretched.
Proboscis monkeys live in multimale groups of twenty or more
individuals. When threatened adult males face the source of danger
and begin to "honk" loudly. With each vocalization, their noses
slightly inflate and stiffen. They also growl and shriek, and make
distinctive braying calls in the morning and evening. Proboscis
monkeys are endangered; more than half of their mangrove habitats
have been destroyed by human encroachment. A male proboscis monkey
makes a high-flying leap from one canopy to another in a Borneo
forest. Should a deep-water channel separate a proboscis monkey from
access to a desired tree, it will descend from the canopy and swim
across. Slight webbing between their digits helps make this possible.
Brad and Trouble.

SULAWESI CRESTED MACAQUE (Macaca nigra)

Formerly known as Celebes macaques, these all-black primates
recently underwent a name change when the islands on which they live
were renamed the Sulawesi Islands. Inaccurately referred to
as "apes ' because they are jet black and tailless, these large
primates are Old World monkeys, not apes. Sulawesi crested
macaques "lip smack" to show aggression and can produce a "high
grin" by pulling their upper lips back so only their teeth are
visible. In lieu of pale eyelids to flash during visual displays,
this species moves their scalps to raise and lower their pronounced
head crests. Lion-tailed macaques live in social groups that are
organized around the lifelong bonds formed between mothers and
daughters.

LION-TAILED MACAQUE (Macaca silenus)

Lisa-tailed macaques are native to southern India, where they are
endangered. They are considered the most arboreal of all macaque
species. Several obvious lion-like features have given this macaque
its common name: A large ruff of golden-gray fur surrounds their all-
black faces, and their long tails are tufted at the end. These
elegant-looking fruit-eaters prefer primary forests, where they form
multimale groups of twelve to thirty animals. The bonds between
mothers and daughters continue throughout their lives, forming the
basis for group stability and structure. Lion-tailed macaques are
highly endangered. They are restricted to a narrow belt of evergreen
and semievergreen monsoon forests in the western Ghats mountains of
southern India.

JAPANESE MACAQUE or snow MONKEY (Macaca fuscata fuscata)

A group of Japanese macaques pass a cold winter day by soaking in
warm thermal waters. During winter food shortages, they survive by
eating tree bark. Grooming helps maintain the intricate social bonds
between primates. Grooming partners reflect not only kinship lines,
but the group's dominance hierarchy. Except for Homo sapiens,
macaques are the most wild-ranging genus of primates. They Occur
from northern Africa, across the Indian sub-continent, and
throughout Southeast Asia. Japanese macaques are part of this
remarkable radiation, living on Japan's Honshu, Shikoku, Kytishu,
and Yakushima islands. These robustly built monkeys live in social
groups that are based on lifelong kinship hierarchies between
mothers and daughters. Female choice regulates mating. Macaques
combine body language, facial gestures, and vocalizations to
communicate information about food, mood, danger, social rank, and
sex. Stuffing their cheek pouches with food, Japanese macaques eat
everything from leaves, fruit, and berries to insects, small animals-
- and crops. Snow monkeys have been officially protected in Japan
since 1947. Their dense fur can range in color from brown to nearly
white. A Snow's bare pink face eventually turn red as he matures.

DOUC LANGUR (Pygathix nemaeus)

The Douc Langur is a large, endangered primate native to the rain
forests of Laos and Vietnam. With almond-shaped eyes and white
whiskers and beard, these colorful monkeys are visually dramatic--
even more so when they hold their arms outstretched above their
heads to make spectacular fifteen- to eighteen- foot leaps from tree
to tree. Bombing and the use of defoliants during the Vietnam War
destroyed large areas of their arboreal habitat. Douc langurs,
native to Indochina, are agile, tree-dwelling vegetarians. They eat
primarily young leaves, fruits, and flowers, from which they obtain
adequate protein and fluids. Douc langurs live in one-male or multi-
male groups that range in size from three to eleven individuals
Black-faced infants are born following a gestation period of about
five and a half months. In the first days of life, females other
than the mother also handle and groom the infant. Found in the
forests of lndochina, the Douc langur is a large monkey that shows
no sexual dimorphism in size, and very little in coloration.
Primarily arboreal, this colorful primate makes spectacular leaps
between trees. An artist would be hard-pressed to create a more
colorful primate than the douc langur. Its human- like face,
encircled with white whiskers and beard, gray pot-bellied stomach,
white forearms, bright red legs, and black hands and feet make it
appear as if it were dressed in costume.

BANDED LEAF MONKEY (Presbytis melalophos)

Banded Leaf monkeys inhabit the tropical rain forests of Malaysia
Sumatra, Java, and Borneo. Adults vary in color from gray, black, or
red to brown, depending on geographic location. In contrast, the
infants are born all white with a dark stripe running down their
backs to the tips of their tails. Leaf monkeys leap and swing
through the canopy in pursuit of a folivorous diet. With arms
stretched above their heads, they catapult from tree crown to tree
crown. Enlarged salivary glands and a sacculated stomach aid In the
fermentation of their bulky plant foods. Banded leaf monkeys inhabit
the tropical forests of Malaysia and Indonesia. The sound of their
leaping, branch-crushing movements through the trees is often the
first indication of their presence.

YELLOW BANDED LEAF MONKEY (Presbytis melalophos fluviatillus)

This visually striking primate is a subspecies of, banded leaf'
monkey, native to the tropical forests of Sumatra. The Latin name
fluviatillus refers to its beautiful yellow coloration.

JAVAN BLACK LEAF MONKEY (Trachypithecus auratus)

The Javan leaf monkey is am endangered species that lives in the
tropical rain forests of Indonesia. While its fur is normally black,
a golden phase also occurs. Both sexes weigh about fourteen pounds.
Females give birth to a single infant following a six- to seven-
month gestation period. The infant nurses well into its second year
before weaning. Like other Leaf monkeys, males make loud calls,
which are thought to help maintain intergroup spacing. All leaf
monkeys have long tails, which fly out behind them as they make
spectacular leaps from tree to tree. Group size ranges from three to
twenty monkeys. In Indonesia, the species is protected in the Gunung
Halimun Reserve, which contains the largest area of primary rain
forest left in Java. As for most primate species, habitat loss has
taken its toll on these animals.

SILVERED LEAF MONKEY (Trachypithecus cristatus)

The slivered leaf monkey's shaggy, silvered hair and highly
conspicuous, bright-orange infants make this species easy to
recognize. Native to Southeast Asia, these leaf-eating primates
inhabit a variety of forest canopy. With visibility restricted in
the forest canopy, the sounds they make not only help promote group
cohesion, but play an important role in territorial defense. Made
day and night, their loud calls serve as location markers. When
territorial disputes do arise, They can be prolonged and noisy. Much
is at stake, as infanticide sometimes happens after a male takeover
occurs. In parts of their range, silvered leaf monkeys are still
hunted as a source of meat and medicine. Infant silver leaf monkeys
are bright orange at birth. By three months of age, their hair
begins to change color until, at six months, it matches the dark
gray of the adults. Silvered leaf monkeys inhabit the forest
Southeast Asia, where they are virtually surrounded by food. While
their diet consists mostly of young and mature Leaves, they also eat
fruit, flowers, buds, seeds, and bark.

FRANCOIS' LEAF MONKEY (Trachypithecus francoisi)

Francois' leaf monkeys inhabit mountainous monsoon forests from
central Laos and Vietnam to southeastern China. These Old World
primates are black with white cheeks. A large black crest peaks at
the top of their heads. Carrying great distances through the forest
and echoing off the mountainsides, their loud calls sound throughout
the day. Francois' leaf monkeys were reduced by the bombing and
defoliation during the Vietnam War. Though they are listed as
endangered, some hunting of this species continues--for the
unsubstantiated medicinal properties of their carpal bones.
Francois' leaf monkeys are endangered throughout their range in
Laos, Vietnam, and southeastern China. The black head crest and
white cheeks are telltale characteristics of the species.

SPECTACLED or DUSKY LEAF MONKEY (Trachypithecus obscrurus)

Dusky or spectacled leaf monkeys are named for the white ring of
skin around their eyes. A patch of white hair over their lips and
chin also stands out against their otherwise black faces. They, too,
produce infants that are covered with bright orange hair at birth.
Spectacled leaf monkeys inhabit both primary and secondary forests
in Southeast Asia in addition to leaves, they also eat fruits and
flowers, and will invade cultivated areas to feed on rubber trees,
bamboo, citrus, and jackfruit. The spectacled or dusky Leaf monkey
inhabits the tropical rain forests of the Malay peninsula, including
parts of Burma and Thailand.

CRESTED, BLACK, WHITE-CHEEKED, or CONCOLOR GIBBON (Hylobates
concolor leucogenys)

Crested or concolor gibbons are native to Vietnam, Laos, eastern
Cambodia and eastern China. Their coloration varies by sex and
geography The males are black, the females buff- colored. In China
the males are all black, in Vietnam they are black with beige
cheeks, and in Laos, black with white cheeks. Adults weigh about
fifteen to eighteen pounds, and females are slightly heavier than
males. The bonded adult pair produces a loud territorial duet The
ascending great call of the female is punctuated by the high-pitched
barks and booms or the male. The features of such duets differ among
species and subspecies.. This species shows dichromatism--color
differences between the sexes. The male is black and the female a
reddish beige Less than 6 percent of all primate species are
monogamous; gibbons are among this group.

LAR or WHITE-HANDED GIBBON (Hylobates lar)

White-handed gibbons are an endangered species native to the rain
forests of Thailand, northern Sumatra, and peninsular Malaysia They
are named after their white hands and feet, which are offset against
dense fur ranging in color from light beige to dark brown or black.
A single infant is born after a seven-month gestation period.
Weaning occurs at about two years of age, with the interbirth
interval averaging two and a half years. Gibbons are monogamous,
meaning they pair-bond for life. To help maintain their reproductive
bond and defend their territory, the male and female of most species
sing together. Their early morning duets ring through the forest as
one territorial pair calls after another. Hoot calls produced by the
male accent the female's great sing-calls, which build to a
shrieking crescendo as she branch-shakes at the top of a tree.
Gibbons are arboreal acrobats. They dangle from branches using
elongated arms and hands as hooks to swing arm-over-arm through the
rain forest canopy. Their long arms can also be extended to
counterbalance bipedal steps taken over the tops of large branches
and, more rarely, on the ground. A lar gibbon has the ability to
walk bipedally over short distances on the ground However, a
gibbon's graceful, long-limbed body is designed primarily for high-
speed brachiation through the tree tops. Leaping and swinging front
branch to branch, a gibbon can brachiate more rapidly through the
canopy than a person can run on the ground. This ability enables
gibbons to quickly access temporary food resources and better defend
their territorial boundaries.

MOLOCH, JAVAN, or SILVERY GIBBON (hylobates moloch)

The moloch gibbon inhabits the rain forests of western Java. Both
sexes are the same color: silvery-gray topped with a dark gray cap.
Group size averages around four--the adult pair and their immature
young. From five to six offspring will be produced by the pair
during their twenty-year reproductive period. Unlike other male
gibbons, moloch males do not sing very often. This leaves the female
to defend the pair's territory with her resonant great calls. Birds
and squirrels compete for the gibbon's frugivorous food supplies--
large raptors are their primary predators. Continued exploitation of
Asia's rain forests and native wildlife has endangered the moloch
gibbon. The shape and position of the unique gibbon thumb, which
allows for a wide range of hand motion. So equipped, these fast-
moving primates appear to defy gravity as they rapidly brachiate
through the trees. Dense silvery-gray fur surrounds the doleful face
of a moloch gibbon. Infants are cream-colored at birth but quickly
darken to the adult color. Their extremely long forearms enable
gibbons to swing from branch to branch through the tree tops.

PILEATED or CAPPED GIBBON (Hylobates pileatus)

Pileated gibbons are primarily native to southeastern Thailand and
western Cambodia, where they live in monogamous family groups. Like
most gibbons, they are active for eight to ten hours each day, from
dawn to late afternoon. Feeding and calling behavior is most intense
in the morning but foraging activity continues throughout the day in
the main canopy. Gibbons use the emergent trees that tower above the
canopy to rest, call, and sleep. Throughout their range, pileated
gibbons are endangered because of habitat loss. Agricultural
encroachment, commercial logging, and hunting have taken their toll
on this lesser ape, as did bombing and defoliation during the
Vietnam War. These lesser apes are some of the most graceful and
acrobatic of all primates.

MULLER'S or GRAY GIBBON (Hylobates muelleri)

All gibbons are tailless with dense fur surrounding bare, black
faces. Muller's gibbons are native to Borneo, where they are fully
protected. They are thought to be one of the last gibbon species to
differentiate when gibbons began to spread throughout Southeast Asia
a million years ago. They range in color from brown to mouse-gray.
Family size includes the monogamous adult pair and up to four
dependent offspring. During the adults' morning duets, the female
takes the lead. Each sex produces an individual, sequential song
that interfaces in perfect syncopation with the other. These
signature calls not only identify their species, but the individual
callers and the boundaries of their family territory. The shape of a
gibbon's elongated feet and hands is specially designed to grip
branches. In fact, the Latin name Hytobates means "dweller in the
trees." Just as with people, Muller's gibbons experience
intergenerational conflict between monogamous adult pairs and their
maturing subadult offspring. Same-sex tensions mount until the
subadult is finally encouraged to leave the natal group.

AGILE or DARK-HANDED GIBBON (Hylobates agilis)

Gibbons are the smallest of the apes. Called lesser apes, their
anatomy, social behavior, and teeth help differentiate them from the
great apes--the gorilla, orangutan, and chimpanzee. There are
several species of gibbons. H. agilis inhabits the rain forests of
Sumatra, northern mainland Malaysia, southwestern Borneo, and
peninsular Thailand. Adding to the difficulty of identification,
their coloration varies geographically. Born to sing and swing,
gibbons brachiate rapidly through the forest canopy using their
elongated arms and hands to swing from branch to branch. The speed
with which they can move through the trees is remarkable. These
agile apes prefer a diet of sugar-rich fruits and figs, but will
also eat young leaves, insects, and birds' eggs to get adequate
protein. The expressive face of an agile or dark-handed gibbon is
outlined in white. These energetic lesser apes are native to the
rain forests of Southeast Asia, where their echoing calls at dawn
reverberate through the canopy.

BORNEAN ORANGUTAN (Pongo pymaeus pymaeus)

These great apes have been called the "Old men of the forest." Not
only are orangutans smart but they can be delightfully mischievous.
Together with humans, these intelligent great apes are classified in
the family Hominidae. The elongated hand of a Bornean orangutan
(Pongo pymaeus pymaeus) is adapted for grabbing tree trunks and
branches in the tropical rain forests. Like humans, orangutans also
have distinctive fingerprints. There are two subspecies of
orangutans, one native to Sumatra, the other to Borneo. Both inhabit
primary tropical rain forests where they prefer soft fruits such as
figs, durian, and mangos. If these fruits are unavailable, they also
eat leaves, insects, bark, squirrels, birds, and bird eggs. During
the day these big red apes often descend to the ground. At night
they sleep in leafy nests constructed high in the trees. Orangutans
are relatively unsocial. Their primary social structure consists of
solitary adult males, solitary subadults of both sexes, and adult
females with one or two young. The males bellow and branch-shake to
keep prospective rivals away. Their resonant calls carry for a half
mile, amplified by their laryngeal air sacs. Young orangutans are
weaned when they are around three years of age but often remain with
their mother for several more. Only when their vice-like grip is
applied to your leg or arm can you fully appreciate their sheer
muscular strength.

SUMATRAN ORANGUTAN (Pongo pymaeus abelii)

Sexual dimorphism is quite obvious in orangutans, the males weighing
from 170 to 220 pounds or more, and females half that. In Sumatra,
orangutans inhabit a remnant area of rain forest in the mountainous
northwest. Adult males of this subspecies sport mustaches and
beards, and have prominent throat sacs which they use to roar and
bellow. Orangutans move slowly through the trees using all four
limbs to distribute their weight and enormous hands and feet to grab
branches in a vice-like grip. Unlike the knuckle-walking chimps and
gorillas, orangutans fist-walk over the ground. Like their
locomotion, orangutan reproduction is very slow. Female orangutans
can take up to ten years to mature, and then have the longest
interbirth interval of any primate species, ranging from five to
eight years. Because of this, their reproductive output is very
limited during the course of their twenty-year period of fertility.
Baby orangutans have elevated the pursuit of inventive, exploratory
play to a fine art. Their displays the teeth that help process a
diet of soft fruit augmented with leaves, insects, and small
vertebrates. Female orangutans are often killed in the wild so that
their infants can be kidnaped for the pet trade. This practice,
coupled with long interbirth intervals, has contributed to the
orangutans endangered. Adult males are primarily solitary except
during opportunities to mate with a receptive female.


---------------------------------------------------------------------

THE NEOTROPICS AND SOUTH AMERICA

The countries with the largest remaining tracts of rain forest are
home to the vast majority of primates. Not surprisingly, Brazil tops
the list with sixteen genera and seventy-six species, of which 50
percent are endemic. This is quite remarkable, considering that the
entire Neotropical region contains sixteen genera and ninety-eight
species of primates. The countries of Peru with twelve genera and
thirty-two species, and Colombia with twelve genera and twenty-one
species, are also critical to Neotropical primate conservation.
While rain forest species are difficult to see in the wild, it is
possible to hear the locomotive-like roar of a group of howler
monkeys, the morning duets of monogamous titi monkeys, and the
chirping, bird-like twitters of tamarins and marmosets as they
forage through the canopy. From the tiny sap-eating pygmy marmoset
that can fit in the palm of one's hand to the large, cream-colored
muriqui, the Neotropics are a primate wonderland. And-nowhere else
can one find monkeys with prehensile tails.

SILVERY MARMOSET (Callithrix argentata)

Silvery marmosets are unusual because of their coloration and bare,
hairless ears. They occur in at least three color phases. One race
is covered with dark fur another is all white with a dark tail, and
the third is white with a cream- colored tail. The hairless ears
make it possible to identify the dark form from other marmoset
species. These small diurnal primates are highly adapted for life in
the trees. Even their high-pitched calls sound bird-like as they
move through the canopy

COMMON MARMOSET (Callithrix jacchus)

Common marmosets inhabit remnant patches of coastal forest along
Brazil's heavily populated Atlantic coast. Here, they live in
extended family groups that include an adult pair and their
offspring. Typical of all marmosets, they have claws rather than
nails on their fingers and toes, which enable them to climb up and
down vertical trunks. An unusual feature of marmoset social
organization is that the young are not only tolerated within their
natal groups after reaching sexual maturity, but their maturation
may be manipulated and delayed by the parents, forcing older
siblings to help care for younger ones. These small South American
monkeys locomote through the trees with jerky, squirrel like motion.

BLACK EAR-TUFTED MARMOSET~ (Callithix penicillata)

Black ear-tufted marmosets are a subspecies if the common marmoset.
Their white face and black-and-gray- marbled tail and body fur show
the relationship. For all intents and purposes, marmosets and
tamarins look alike. They are both small, diurnal New World monkeys.
However, the anatomy of their lower jaws helps to tell them apart.
Tamarins have more rounded lower jaws, while marmosets have more
pointed, V-shaped jaws to accommodate their chisel-shaped lower
incisors This difference enables marmosets, Like the black ear-
tufted subspecies, to gouge holes in the bark of trees to extract
resins, gums, and sap. Marmosets produce a variety of high- pitched
vocalizations, some inaudible to the human ear. They also perform
elaborate visual displays, raising and lowering the hair on their
tail, face, and tufted ears.

PYGMY MARMOSET (Cebuella pygmaea)

Pygmy marmosets are the quietest of New World monkeys--and the
smallest. Adults weigh a little wore than two to three ounces, and
measure five inches long with an eight-inch tail. These tiny
primates live in the rain forests and seasonally flooded forests of
the upper Amazon Basin in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador Peru, and
northern Bolivia. In addition to high-pitched whistles and twitters,
pygmy marmosets also produce an ultrasonic cry expressing hostility
that is inaudible to the human ear. Cupped in the palm of a human
hand, a pygmy marmoset from South America seems even further dwarfed
in size. It is one of tile world's smallest species of primates.
Pygmy marmosets make every effort to stay out of sight. Their
cryptic coloration and small size make this possible, along with
movement that includes squirrel-like dashes, sloth-like oozing over
tree trunks, and abrupt frozen immobility.

EMPEROR TAMARIN (Saguinus imperator subgriscescens)

The emperor tamarin's bold drooping white mustache is typical of the
decorative pattern of facial hair common to tamarin species. Such
eye-catching patterns are thought to emphasize social displays. The
disruptive coloration may also help to camouflage these primates in
their rain forest habitats. Tamarins exploit all levels of the
forest in search of fruit and insects. While foraging, they run
along large branches and make short horizontal jumps between tree
trunks and low shrubs. Groups ranging in size from two to forty have
been observed. Marmosets and tamarins usually give birth to twins.

GOLDEN-HANDED TAMARIN (Saguinus midas midas)

Golden-Landed tamarins are classified as one of the "hairy-faced"
tamarins They inhabit tropical rain forests north of the Rio Amazona
in South America. Like all tamarins, this species makes a variety of
high-pitched shrieks, squeals, trills, and twitters, many of which
the human ear can't hear. Infants make sounds to request food.
Golden-handed tamarins occur in groups of ten or less. If more than
one adult female is present, only the most dominant breeds. These
small-bodied primates feed on fruits, small invertebrates, and
insects. The brightly colored hands and feet on this tamarin
distinguish it as a golden-handed tamarin. Subspecies distinctions
are based on the color of the hands and feet, which can range from
golden-orange to black.

SPIX'S MOUSTACHED TAMARIN (Saguinus mystax mystax)

Moustached tamarins use their clawed digits for quadrupedal running
along branches, horizontal jumps between tree trunks, and for
prolonged bouts of social grooming. Running their claws through each
other's fur, they comb out unwanted particles and remove them with
lips, teeth, and tongue. There is no sexual dimorphism among adult
tamarins; both have muzzles of bright white facial hair. If
anything, the females can be slightly larger than the males.
Moustached tamarin namesake is white facial hair. Such dramatic
markings serve as both visual signals and species I.D. lags as these
high-energy little primates more through the canopy.

COTTON-TOP TAMARIN (Sagiunus oepipus)

The white crown, reddish rump, and black-tipped tail make cotton-top
tamarins one of the most striking species of New World primates.
They are named for the crest of long white hair that flows from
their head down over their shoulders. The crest is raised and
lowered to accentuate their facial expressions and twittering
vocalizations. Cotton-top tamarins are an endangered species found
only in Colombia. They make twittering bird-like calls to each other
as they move through their preferred habitat, the tangled forest
understory of low-growing trees and vines. Their vocalizations also
include louder trills and shrieks produced over territorial disputes
and when predators are near. Twins are born after a gestation period
of four to five months. The male is the primary caregiver. He
carries the infants on his back, returning them to the female when
they need to nurse. Group size ranges from three to thirteen
individuals.

GEOFFROY'S TAMARIN (Saguinus geoffroyi)

This small Neotropical primate is the most northern-ranging of the
tamarin species. Once found throughout most of Panama into northwest
Colombia, geoffroy's tamarins have since been eliminated over much
of their former range. Field studies show that this diurnal primate
prefers to forage for fruit, insects, and various plant material in
second-growth habitats during midmorning and late afternoon. At
night, family groups consisting of a monogamous adult pair and their
offspring sleep hidden in vine tangles. Geofiroy's tamarin has
distinctive color pattern-a salt-and-pepper back, reddish nape,
white forearms and underparts, and black face with short white hairs
on top of its head.

GOLDEN LION TAMARIN (Leontopithecus rosalia)

The golden lion tamarin is native to the coastal rain forests of
eastern Brazil. Weighing about three-quarters to one and a half
pounds, it is the largest of the callitrichid primates (marmosets
and tamarins). Their common name is derived from the gold, lion-like
mane that covers their outer ears and extends like a cape over their
shoulders. Males have well-developed laryngeal air sacs. When angry,
lion tamarins expose their canines while producing shrill whistles
and shrieks. Under calmer circumstances, adults use other calls to
invite their young to eat, even offering them food. Golden lion
tamarins are native to the Atlantic coastal forests of eastern
Brazil, where the climate alternates between wet and dry seasons. By
day, these endangered primates actively search vines and lianas for
their diet of insects, spiders, and fruit.

GOELDI'S MONKEY (Callimico goeldii)

Native to the tropical forests from Colombia to Bolivia, Goeldi's
monkeys move rapidly through the lower canopy by vertically clinging
and leaping. These beautiful little primates are covered with long,
silky black hair. In size and shape, Goeldi's resembles other
marmosets, but their teeth are more tamarin-like than marmoset. In
fact, this species was given its own genus because it combines
marmoset features with those of tamarins and other New World
monkeys. Their reproductive pattern also strays from that of
marmosets. Following a gestation period of five to five and a half
months, the female gives birth to a single infant, not twins. The
mother carries the infant for the first two weeks of life, then
transfers that responsibility to the father. This snub-nosed little
primate has become a rare species due to habitat loss and capture
for the pet trade.

WHITE-FRONTED or BROWN PALE-FRONTED CAPUCHIN (Cebus albifrons)

Capuchin monkeys are one of the most wide-ranging of New World
primates. They are also extremely intelligent, with noticeably
large, convoluted brains relative to body weight. At home in a
variety of forest types, the fruit-eating capuchin monkeys often
rest with their legs and arms dangling from a branch, their
prehensile tail tips securely anchored. Averaging six pounds, these
quadrupedal springers are adept at using their hands to forage for
food. Opposable thumbs and keen eve-to-hand coordination enable
capuchins to pick up the tiniest objects with great precision. This
trait! among others, made capuchins appealing as organ-grinder
monkeys in the streets of Boston and New York early this century.
Along with grabbing fruit, they also learned how to grab coins.

TUFTED or BLACK-CAPPED CAPUCHIN (Cebus apella)

With black hands and feet, head tufts that form a triangle over
their foreheads, and distinctive black sideburns extending to the
chin, the tufted capuchin is an engaging monkey. Living in groups of
five to twenty individuals, these New World monkeys communicate with
grins, lowered eye brows, head-shaking, and a variety of calls.
Native To the rain forests of South America, the omnivorous
capuchins use their semi-prehensile tails to balance as they
locomote through the trees. Males are larger than females, yet it is
the female who decides when to mate-and with whom. At the peak of
receptivity she follows the dominant male. As receptivity wanes, she
pursues the subordinate males, copulating with as many as six in a
day. The tufted or black-capped capuchin is a medium-sized monkey
native to South America. Although primarily tree-dwelling they
frequently descend to the ground to raid crops and orchards. Fond of
palmnuts, tufted capuchins use special nutcracking techniques, such
as banging them against branches to remove the nutmeat. They are
also adept at catching and eating tree frogs. Capuchin monkeys have
been called the hustlers of the American primate world. When a group
forages for food, they spread out throughout the canopy to
systematically search for everything edible.

DUSKY TITI MONKEY (Callicebus donacophilus)

Dusky titi monkeys are one of Three species of titi monkeys native
to the tropical rain forests of South America. This particular
species prefers dense swamp forests. These small, day-active monkeys
supplement Their mostly fruit diet with leaves and insects. Titi
monkeys are one of the few species of primates that live in
monogamous family groups, each with a mated adult pair and their
young. Like gibbons, the male and female produce territorial duets
or dawn calls. When resting or sleeping, they tail-twine. Male titi
monkeys are devoted fathers they carry, groom, guard, share food
with and play with their infant, even sheltering it from wind and
rain. Dusty titi monkeys from South America range in color from
reddish-brown to gray. As is true for most monogamous primates,
sexual dimorphism is minimal.

SQUIRREL MONKEY (Saimiri sp.)

Squirrel monkeys live throughout most of the tropical rain forests
of the northern Amazon Basin. Here, they prefer the middle canopy to
forage for fruit and insects. They also eat snails, arthropods, and
small vertebrates such as tree frogs. Owners of fruit orchards in
the Amazon region consider this species a pest. Male squirrel
monkeys are unusual among primates for becoming "fatted"--putting on
weight in the tipper torso--during the breeding season. Males also
use penile displays during this time to help maintain dominance
hierarchies. Group size can vary from ten to more than two hundred
individuals in undisturbed Amazon rain forests. Unlike many species
of Neotropical monkeys, the tail, of squirrel monkeys are not
prehensile, even though they sometimes they may appear so. Squirrel
monkeys show little sexual dimorphism in size or color. This agile
species is adept at collecting berry like fruit from the ends of
branches.

WHITE-FACED SAKI (Pithecia pithecia pithecia)

Saki monkeys are medium-sized South American primates that inhabit
the rain forests of the Amazon Basin. Striking sexual dimorphism
occurs in the white-faced saki. The male is completely black except
for a dramatic white mask of short dense hair surrounding his black
muzzle. In contrast, the female is much lighter with brown to
brownish-gray fur and a gold chest and underbelly. In both sexes,
the head hair grows forward from the nape of the neck to form a
hood. Saki monkeys live in monogamous family groups, The adult pair
maintains their bond through grooming and coordinated vocal duets. A
male white-fared saki monkey shows the striking sexual dimorphism
characteristic of this species. Only the mate has the white mask.
Female white-faced saki monkeys can easily be mistaken for the Monk
saki. Both species inhabit the rain forests of the Amazon Basin,
where their springing, leaping locomotion through the trees has
given them the nickname flying monkeys.

RED UAKARI (Cacajao rubicundus)

Uakaris are medium-sized monkeys native to the tropical rain forests
of the upper Amazon Basin. Their range extends from southern
Venezuela to eastern Peru. These strange-looking monkeys have
several features unique among New World monkeys. Most obvious are
their bald heads with bare crimson faces. Their long shaggy fur,
either all white or reddish-brown, exaggerates the dramatic visual
effect created by their hairless red heads. To further enhance their
appeal to females, males uakaris urine-wash. This gives each one a
distinctive, signature odor. Even a makeup artist would be hard-
pressed to match the visual effect created naturally by a red uakari
from South America. Loss of habitat has made this showstopper
primate vulnerable. They are also hunted for their meat and are even
used as fishing bait.

MANTLED HOWLER MONKEY (Alouatta palliata)

Howler monkeys are the most widespread of all New World primates.
Various species occur from southern Mexico to Brazil and Argentina.
Like all howlers, the mantled howler of Central and South America is
completely arboreal. They move quadrupedally through the middle and
upper stories of the forest canopy aided by their prehensile tails.
Both sexes possess an enlarged, egg-shaped hyoid bone just beneath
the chin, which is used to produce their deep roaring vocalizations.
Howlers call at dawn, during territorial disputes, and in response
to loud noise, such as heavy- rainfall. Mantled howler monkeys are
arboreal New World primates native to Central and South America.
This species is seriously threatened throughout its range because of
hunting, habitat loss and pesticide use.

RED HOWLER MONKEY (Alouatta seniculus)

Its obvious why these New World monkeys are called red howlers.
Their beautiful coats range from red to brownish-orange, and their
roaring group calls can make the air vibrate. Red howlers call in
unison throughout the day and night. Territorial encounters with
other groups usually set off a chorus, but so will just about any
other loud sound, including that of a motorcycle. Group size ranges
from three to thirteen or more. Competition for the few breeding
positions within a group is intense, both among females and among
males. Able to survive in a variety of forest types, including
secondary growth, howlers are completely arboreal. However, if given
a choice, they prefer to feed and rest in the middle and upper
canopies of primary forests. Field scientists learn quickly not to
walk directly beneath a howler monkey, since these calculating
monkeys know how to use their body fluids too discourage approach.

NIGHT MONKEY or DOUROCOULI (Aotus sp.)

The Latin name Aotus is used as often as dourocouli or night monkey
to describe this New World primate. These arboreal, two-pound
monkeys inhabit a variety of forest types from Panama to Paraguay
and Argentina. Their diet consists mostly of fruit. Like their
diurnal counterparts. The titi monkeys, dourocouli live in
monogamous family groups of a mated pair and their one to three
young. Asleep by day and active after dusk, night monkeys use
elaborate visual, vocal and olfactory signals to communicate with
each other, including a series of resonating grunts produced in
their laryngeal sacs. The dourocouli, native to South America, is
also called the owl or night monkey. Its enormous eyes are in
adaptation for seeing well in the dark. This species has the
distinction of being the only Neotropical primate that is completely
nocturnal. Male dourocouli, or night monkeys actively participate in
raising their young. The young ride on its father's back and only
when it gets hungry will it be returned to the female to nurse.

MEXICAN BLACK or GUATEMALAN HOWLER MONKEY (Alouatta pigra)

All howler monkeys are hind-gut fermenters. They rely on stomach
bacteria to break down the plant cellulose consumed in their diet of
low-nutrient, low-sugar leaves and unripe fruit. The poor
nutritional content of their food means that they must consume huge
quantities to get adequate nutrition. Their lethargic behavior when
not feeding is a behavioral byproduct of their long, slow digestive
process. Guatemalan howlers inhabit the undisturbed tropical and
semideciduous forests of Central America. However such forests are
now largely gone and along with them the black howling monkeys with
their prehensile tails The large swelling beneath the chin, needed
to accommodate an enlarged hyoid bone, is concealed by a thick bread
on Mexican black or Guatamalan howler monkeys. The hyoid bone makes
it possible for howler monkeys to produce a loud, deep call, which
they often do in unison, resembling the roar of a passing locomotive.

BLACK HANDED SPIDER MONKEY

The pink patches of skin encircling the eyes give it spectacled
appearance. Naked skin on the lower third of the prehensile tail
enables this fifth appendage to tightly grip branches. Just like a
hand the tail has sweat glands, sensory nerve endings,
and "fingerprints." This species has been introduced to Panama's
Burro Colorado Island. Black-handed spider monkeys come in a variety
of colors. A spider monkey's hands are thumb less. A tubercle takes
tire place of the missing digit. Black-handed spider monkeys can be
red, buff, golden, or dark brown with black patches on their head,
hands, and feet. Nine to fifteen subspecies have been identified.
The most permanent social bonds are between females and their
dependent young. Although there is no marked sexual dimorphism among
spider monkeys, female skulls tend to be sightly larger than male
skulls, with the inverse true for their canines. Spider :monkeys
exhibit fission-fusion pattern of social organization. Larger groups
break down into smaller foraging units by day, during which members
are exchanged throughout the day.

LONG-HAIRED SPIDER MONKEY (Ateles belzebuth)

Long-haired spider monkeys are native to the Tropical evergreen
forests from northern Colombia and Venezuela to northern Peru. They
use their prehensile tails like a fifth limb to dangle upside-down
from branches while feeding, and to move in every position possible
through the canopy. Holding their tails aloft, they occasionally
walk bipedally across large branches. Nearly 80 percent of a spider
monkey's diet is fruit; the rest is leaves. These animated monkeys
bark, scream, grunt squeak, boot, wail, and moan. Urine and
glandular secretions help them communicate through olfactory
signals. A spider's prehensile tail makes it possible for it to
nonchalantly dangle, leaving one long, spidery arm free.

BLACK SPIDER MONKEY (Ateles fusciceps robustus)

The black spider monkeys of Central and South America move through
the canopy with speed and agility, brachiating and running over the
branches in search of ripe fruit. These large lanky, and noticeably
pot-bellied primates live in groups averaging eighteen individuals.
The groups are centered on the females and their young. Female
spider monkeys actively choose their mates. While some females may
choose to mate with several different males in a single day, other
female directed pairings can last up to three days. Black spider
monkeys copulate face-to-f ace, as do gibbons, bonobos, orangutans,
capuchins and a few other primate species. Considered good to eat,
these monkeys hare been severely hunted throughout their range. This
Neotropical species prefers the canopy of moist evergreen forests,
where it eats mostly fruit.

MURIQUI or WOOLLY SPIDER MONKEY (Brachyteles arachnoides)

The muriqui also called a woolly spider monkey, is a large South
American primate that looks part spider monkey; part woolly monkey.
Like the spider monkeys, it has long spider like limbs and vestigial
thumbs. Like a woolly monkey; has short dense fur and a more rounded
head. Muriqui have a rich repertoire of vocalizations, including
clucks, neighs, warbles, chuckles, and loud barks. Touching,
especially embraces between group members, also plays an important
part in their social behavior. This slow-breeding, highly endangered
species lives in the tropical rain forests along the southeastern
coast of Brazil. Habitat destruction reduced their numbers to less
than 1,000 in the 1970s. Found only in Brazil, these twenty four to
thirty-pound monkeys are the largest species of Neotropical primates.

WOOLLY MONKEY (Brachyteles arachnoides)

The common woolly monkey inhabits the middle and upper Amazon
Basin.. They forage through all levels of the canopy in tropical and
montane forests, where they feed on ripe fruits and leaves. Woolly
monkeys can be brown, gray, or black in color. Woolly monkeys live
in groups averaging ten to twelve members, with larger groups
forming in nonhunted areas. In addition to suffering habitat loss,
woolly monkeys are captured for the pet trade and relished as a food
item--their fat is used in cooking and medicine .Their dense short
hair, snub noses, and long prehensile tails are characteristic of
the species. These large New World monkeys eat mostly fruit. The
bare undersurface of the woolly monkey's prehensile tail is covered
with dermatoglyphies or fingerprints, which function like tread on a
rubber tire. The primates use their super-grip tails to swing,
dangle, and grab branches as they eat, and move through the trees.

--- In africalink@yahoogroups.com, "jennifer armstrong"
<scratchy@m...> wrote:


Ghosts in Africa

Oh God said to Abraham, "Kill me a son"

Abe says, "Man, you must be puttin' me on"

God say, "No." Abe say, "What?"

God say, "You can do what you want Abe, but

The next time you see me comin' you better run"

Well Abe says, "Where do you want this killin' done?"

God says, "Out on Highway 61."

~~~Bob Dylan

       By the entrance of the kraal was a fallen, sugared yellow
fence. Torrential rain had killed its substance, and the straw and
grass that made it were shattered into fragments. In his state of
torpor, Tom mechanically propped his racer with its flat tire up hard
against the fence, and thought for just a while. "I'd really rather
not be here. But I am and that's all there is to it. Life is so
unkind, just like my father. My mother was nice." Right there, a
stray red and brown cockerel pecked, mindlessly, against the spindled
turf, and there proceeded to mash it with its feet. "What a strange
thing a cock's comb is. I should really comb my hair. There now, much
better. What would mummy and daddy say, most especially, daddy. It's
hard being a man. It's no wonder the hens are so impressed with them-
the cocks' combs, I mean. And how they cackle..the hens. Of course,
cocks can cackle too. It's all equal. It's all really the same."
Apart from the cow and the bell, there was no sign of any human life
there, or anywhere to be found and this made Tom feel safe and
anxious. He was safe, in that nobody could see him, well almost
nobody.

       Without thinking, Tom said a prayer, and smoked the last
remains of his dried-out cigarette -- He had saved a half "just in
case--". The invigorating taste of nicotine spread rapidly throughout
his lungs and found its way into his body. "'He maketh me to lie down
in green pastures'. Nice notion, especially for big, brown-eyed cows.
Cows always lie down just before it begins to rain. Release is such a
pleasant feeling. I think that when I go back to America, I'll let my
cat and dog go-my bird too. Then, they'll be free. After all, what do
they need me for. Sure I pet them and feed them. Well, I don't pet
the bird-just sometimes, I put my little finger in Dodo's cage and
give him a small stroke. Birds, generally don't like to be petted.
They don't mind if their mates nuzzle up to them. I think that's true
with most birds, though I've never seen a crow or a raven bill and
coo. But no matter, Dodo will soon be released, that is, if I'm not
here very long. Maybe I should get mom to do it. Ah, silly me. There
are no phones or computers out here and besides, mom is dead."

       Tom blew cigarette smoke through a pursed, whistle-like hole he
made in his lips. His lips were thin. He didn't like his lips. He
couldn't imagine a decent looking girl liking his lips. They might
like other parts of him, which, well.. that would be up them. Visibly
grinning, he thought of his penis. Why did such thoughts enter his
mind? Tom didn't know and besides, he wouldn't presume to tell girls
what they should like about him or anything else for that matter.
Then again, he did know. He was in denial and he knew that. He'd
heard that term bandied about during his Psych 101 course at UT. It'd
stuck with him since. But his father taught him about the devil. It
was good to deny the devil. The devil was sin and sinning got
you "cast into 'hail'". Tom smiled again at the thought of his
father's Texan accent. Cast into 'hail', indeed. Just the opposite-
cast into eternal fire where the marrow in his bones would turn into
molten lead and his eyes would flame in their boney sockets and the
tears would be endless-ENDLESS!-to infinity. And the stench of
eternally rotting flesh. There would be no end to the tortures God,
the father would inflict upon him, unrepentant sinner that he was. As
hard as he tried to deny his thought-dreams, they just continued to
pop up, like targets on a shooting range. Tom was afraid. His own
ideas were betraying him, sending him to eternal suffering, just as
Jesus must have suffered on "that old rugged cross". The melodic
whisper of voices came ringing out the open doors of that little old,
white wooden Baptist church near Pottsboro. Tom sometimes caught
himself falling asleep during the sermons of Reverend Paul. Other
times, he got hard-ons looking over at Nancy's crossed legs. When the
congregation stood up to sing, Tom would have to hunch over a bit and
adjust to camouflage the protrusion emanating otherwise from the
zippered part of his trousers.

       The ash-weary smell of Africa, of pot-dust smoke... which
funnelled up around him formed more than a wisp. Now, the salient
odour of some dead, decaying meat, in a winds' gust, gained a more
pungent edge. The urge to get away, to go back home, came over him --
Tom plucked a spindle-leaf from a nearby bush, and crushed it -- then
paused for a second, "Do leaves go to heaven? His mother had once
told him that his dead cat had gone to heaven. To be sure, it
was 'cat heaven'. If there was a cat and dog heaven, then perhaps a
leaf heaven would not be too great an ask of our Father."

       He knew he was a long, long way from home... . . The very first
autumn he had experienced in the US, had been a magical one. Gold and
amber oak leaves had fallen all round the college grounds and after
that little specks of dust had been gathered up by the breeze of an
impending winter storm. And in those months that followed, his old
boyhood ways had been forgotten -- so he had thought. He still
remembered them, of course. They were fresh in hi memory-the lazy
days of marbles and running with balls and climbing trees and teasing
girls. He'd found some Texan friends who went to the same school, and
so he'd lengthened out his tone of speech into a common drawl. "Yawl
come," he thought giggling to himself. So young...Tom had only wanted
to please everybody. He wanted to be "good", in future...But his good
was different from that which had become his father's -- "and that
much was certain". Now his mother was in The Lord's good hands, there
was nothing left to worry about. And yet....How wondrous the echo of
this silence. To think....there was really no one around! Well,
except Him. He was always there. That's what he'd been told, "he
knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you're awake... Christmas,
birthdays, was a guy ever alone?"

       A helicopter flew up overhead, and rattled like rain about to
fall again. Tom cleared his throat. He still felt grateful and more
alone than ever. He meandered along the path. The path was a
different one from that chosen earlier. So, only now it was leading
him over hidden boulders and rocks -- He looked at his watch and it
was five to five. "Must be the helicopter people are going home now,"
he thought wistfully. His thoughts turned to Tarzan, swinging freely,
securely from vines, halting only for the briefest second on the limb
of some jungle tree. He looked around him and saw a lone thorn
tree. " And Cheetah, funny little Cheetah. What an hilarious chimp!
Oh-ooo-hah-hah-hah, ugha-ugha," he said out loud.

       Tom's ears perked up. He could hear the sound of something in
the distance, which he vaguely recognised as baboons -- he had last
heard a baboon when he was still a child -- They'd scramble for the
nuts, they'd throw some more, they tore them open, with their teeth,
spat their husks. Now the memory was gone. Tom knew enough to be able
to say they were probably a tribe of baboons, waiting for him just
over the hill. That, itself, was very beautiful, and
glorious. "Tribes were nice," he thought. "Nice and ever so natural."
He liked saying "ever so", even to himself. His mother used that
expression. It was cultured. It showed you were cultured, that you
knew things and were someone to be reckoned with. Yes, indeed it
did." He felt more assured now. His anxiety had ebbed, 'ever so, ever
so'.

       Everything was stretching out into a stream of caramel, gray
chocolaty colour. The sun's path would soon fall beyond a cloud and
sink much lower, out beyond the most distant tree. So now, he had to
find his own path back and out the way he came. To ensure a short-
cut, he would boldly cut right across the bush.

       An army vehicle zipped through, as if above those close-by
tufts of vegetation. Like Tom, it was moving southwards. It
jettisoned the breeze, as it were: The breeze bounced off it. Then
down it went, along the road Tom had been travelling, an hour or more
before. A sharp reverberation as it passed was seemingly caught up by
the nearest grass and re-echoed. Tom looked up and fell down,
scraping his knee. "Damn." he said out loud. A khaki apparition
vanished, just at the moment he glimpsed it. Was it ever really
there? He looked at his knee. It bled, ever so slightly. Everything
seemed slow; like in a dream. He felt unsure and yet on the verge of
battle. What kind of battle? He did not know. There were battles all
around him, all the time as he grew up. It was normal. "Tom, Tom, the
butcher's son, lost a ring and away he run," he thought as his head
jerked. His eyes opened. They shut again. They opened again: He felt
a bit tired. He had been walking so far, now. He had come around full
circle.

       He climbed up to the road and took his bearings southwards --
ever southwards. Warmth and destination were there. Up above, a group
of eagles soared. Tom had his notebook, and he'd drawn a sketch of
these birds in it. The sun was part of the sketch. And, we were all a
part of it, and had our origins from it. And when the sun finally
departed, it always left a feeling of peace, as though in special
tribute or in consolation. "Amen," he thought, bowing his
head. "Mustn't sleep. No. Too dangerous. No, I'm fine."

       He'd learned enough about mechanics in a funny lakeside place
back home, and about throwing flat-faced stones in a way that skimmed
the water, whilst looking for fish. He'd done that in Africa, when he
was left alone for the best part of the day. Out of boredom, mostly,
he'd learned to turn a pine stick into a fishing rod, attach fish-
bait upon a makeshift, barbed-wire hook. He swung a thorn stick
resolutely as he walked along the road. It was his stick -- he'd
plucked it from the tree, all alone.

       He travelled along these roots and stones. Nobody had told him
that these could be the wrong shoes. . nobody had told him just how
dark it gets -- or how suddenly the night falls. Tom jiggled his
rucksack, which was made heavier by the pressure. His father had been
right -- he had said, "Watch out for those . . . who'll lead you up
the garden path! 'Rock of ages, come to me'." Songs made him feel
more like he was with someone else. "The Lord is always with you,"
his mother had told him. "There are no monsters. The Lord will watch
over you and see that you go to heaven, when it is your time." There
was a movement in the bush. Tom was afraid. It wasn't his time. Of
that he was sure. "But then, what if the creature in the bush was a
rhino. Would a rhino know that? Would a rhino know about the Lord and
his plans?" Of course, God moved in mysterious ways and the rhino
would know in his own inscrutable way. This thought did not comfort
Tom. He picked up his pace a bit, even though the pack chafed his
shoulders and his lungs began to burn.

       And now the night had closed in. And he breathed the chill; and
all his breath had turned into white smoke.

       The night was reaching in to rob him of possibilities, and his
missions . . . its cold hand of darkness reaching in -- Perhaps,
soon, day would come along to . . . re-invigorate us all? The
darkness covers everything and returns all to its embryonic shapes.
It makes all frenetic activity depart with its hushed and hushing
authority. The cold was making him cough . . . Perhaps only the
dryness of his breath was making him cough, now. He had to slow down.
His body was giving out. Soon a car would pull up, if only he was
lucky. A friendly face would take him to the next stage: show him
where he had to go. Tom believed in fate: It was as much a part of
his belief as breathing was a part of him. "Now I lay me down with
sheep." Sin... blasphemy! That is what father would say? "We are men,
not sheep. Now, where did I put my woollen jersey? Where is my
shepherd? When is the man coming with a gun? Where is the highest
bidder, for my life? Where, indeed, is my son's penknife?"

       Next, Tom made his way towards the nearest hut, in a random
detour. A red and brown cockerel cackled, flapping 'cross his path,
emitting a threatening, gargling sound. The shadows stretched. He
poked his head in, knocking a bit of grey dust from its
entrance, "Anybody home?" But the sleeping, creeping shadows inside
the silent hut were deeper. It was warmer there inside. The hut smelt
like stale corn -- and spittle that had been re-swallowed, two, or
three, or more times, until it had finally turned sour. Dark wooden
embers; dust and coal, were scattered within the cold structure. The
floors were cow-dung, the walls of brighter clay. Tom pulled his
penis out, unconsciously, and began to play with it. It was rare to
be alone for such a long time and so safe. . . He now felt safe,
within the heat and darkness of the hut. Tomorrow, he would head
south again. In the meantime, there was Leslie. Leslie in her red
plaid school skirt with her white cotton panties on. "Leslie, will
you take off your panties?" Tom thought of ripping them off, no
sliding them down and sliding in and out and in and.. "Leslie!" he
cried. And then it was over. He wiped his hand on his trousers and
drifted off to sleep... in the belly of a leopard.

       A car started or so it seemed. Milky white stars...and then
some light. Tom opened his eyes. Some light was bouncing off the grey
walls of the hut and an engine came to a stop. A flashlight bumped
its way up to the hut. Crunching gravel under feet. The light shone
into Tom's face. "Anybody here?" the voice asked? "Nobody here but us
chickens," Tom returned with his boyish grin.

       "What are you doing boy? It smells like a sperm factory in
here."

       "First of all, I'm not a boy. I'm old enough to drink and vote
and I'm a graduate of the University of Texas."

       "How did you get here?" the soldier asked.

       "I rode my racer. But it got a flat tire."

       "So?"

       "So, I walked. I forgot to bring patch and glue."

       The soldier scratched his head.

       "I'm visiting my old homeland, sir" Tom continued.

       "You'd better come along with us," the soldier answered. "And
don't call me sir. I'm a corporal."

       "Yes sir", Tom said. "I mean.."

       "Never mind. Just get in."

       The purring of the engine which had picked him up and carried
him thus far had made him feel like he was a lion cub, inside a
lionesses' womb -- A child of Africa, not in this land for long.
Alone-except for four ghostly shapes of others around him. The boy
struggled, under the weight of the most tiresome engagement: SLEEP.
Why was he struggling? He ought to be more alert. Three hours past--
they approached Town.

       The familiar voices broke through the drought--" My people live
around here -- Perhaps we can drop him out down there?" So ensued a
general shuffle of silent assent. Something was resting on him --
something that he couldn't somehow shake it off. It wound around him
while he rested, like a python. And, it had seemed, in that long
journey, like it had always been this way. Except now, in Africa, the
child in Tom was free. The memories were not strong enough to resist
the violence of bright, arousing day.

       And the car, at that point, really seemed to be a leopard,
purring up the long dirt road, and it slid under a porch light coming
to a still rest within a breeze. And feeling more alert, Tom,
happily, at last, stepped out for a look. The moon loomed down full,
its face, round, smooth -- and small. He kicked the dust off hiss
boots, as if awake. The Ghost-spirit knocked against the door. It
opened-- Tom was alone, with one of four hallucinations. First was
there a small woman--young-- with her dark hairs brushed softly, low,
against her brow, and then a man in his late thirties, followed by a
hairy, long-slithered face: The dog's name was Peter Pan. The
hallucination said, "We just found him walking down the road; we
thought he might be lost-- ...would you take care of him ? --his tone
was soft, and kind. Inside, it was stark, with wooden shelves and a
belching 'fridge. The floors were cold, uneven; seemingly melted with
old footwork--and, probably young feet -- A kettle rocked sedately in
its cradle on a gas stove. It had made its contents dry.

       Tom could taste this sweet smell of ancient herbs. The boy
regretted leaving behind his brightly coloured racer. It was the one
thing he prized highly, that he had brought with him from the
States. -- he hated the thought it might rain overnight, and all the
paintwork would suffer. It irked him . . . more than the fact he had
been 'tricked' by a bunch of "apparitions" to participate in a
journey to 'who knows where'.

       He felt his body being very purposefully jiggled. "Hey you.
Wake up. Is this it, son? There aren't many houses out this way."

       "Yes sir."

       Tom got his knapsack, exited the car with a wave, watching it
until its lights finally disappeared and all that was left was the
distant growl of its engine. At least Daina's place hadn't changed.

       The woman clucked and scurried and found pillows, sheets and
blankets. The room was large -- too large to hold one person -- and
tthe ceiling was tall and high. A silken web of mosquito netting was
draped around him. Tom felt he was a spider, caught by another
spider, under the watchful eye of a fly. Then the late hour arrived.
When daybreak came, it left a hole in everything -- a mellow,
quickening light that nothing could hide inside. Breakfast was pan-
cooked flapjacks, bacon, jam, and eggs. Tom removed the netting that
had until this point contained him. A whole new world of
possibilities had just opened up.

       He sucked in the milky, hot, tea. Michael Leary -- she, Daina--
called him "Laz" for short--sat smoking in the kitchen. Later on, Tom
found them seated out on the green lawn, with their dog, Pan. Pan
eyed this boy, with one of his translucent gazes and sidled up to
him. Tom offered him the remains of his egg. He had once used to keep
some scraps for his own puppy, a Great Dane, called Marshall. "Little
Marshall," Tom had called him, but that was when Tom had been so much
younger.

       "It's warm out here, and everything is suddenly quite still" he
thought. The African habit of seeing the outside, and not the soul,
at all... was all "a lie". Daina, spread out languidly on a deck
chair, followed him with her eyes. He fell into reverie, whilst
eyeing Daina's legs; an almost milk-chocolate-brown. Her skin was of
a well-fed cow, glistening with either brill cream or a delicate
version of crushed sunflower seeds. Meanwhile, "Laz", shuffled back
and forth and here and there, in his broken boots. And then he
stopped and propped himself, right shoulder against a wooden beam. As
if all this gentleman was. . .was leaning there in one place against
the porch. And then, he sat again, sipping tea and looking for all
the world like a man of leisure as he leaned back into a closed eyed
position.

       Laz was a game-keeper, from way back -- knew the hills and
every animal by name, and was still sleeping on his armchair. Daina
smiled -- she seemed reluctant to participate but loomed there in the
shadow-morning-light. "Laz", however, was far beyond , so far, he
didn't care -- almost beyond the essence of a man, he twitched his
whiskers, softly, as he remarked on the dew. Midday, next the evening
soft approaching, he would tighten up his collar -- always was trying
to adjust it to avoid sunburn. He even swatted flies away from his
face, with a low, digestive, grunt. A man tormented by the cold, but
refusing to admit it. Light always tormented his day but evenings
were the best by far.

       Daina re-crossed her legs, and smiled in a conspiratorial way
at Tom. She slithered her body down the chair into a more relaxed
position. The boy felt the morning sun bite into his brow. He paused.
Now his tea was getting cold. In the heat of day, Daina slid off her
silky slip coat, and dove into the pool. Tom lay right back on an
armrest; closed his eyes, in half response -- "Daina.... When I leave
here, I'll collect my things, come back for you. You needn't be
afraid. I want to protect you from ALL of the dangers."

       Tom knew Laz was leaving to go to his game reserve in the bush
the next day. Daina would be all alone. "You must go back to your
Leslie," she said, at last, subduingly, --Since there's nothing real
for you here...Alone, out in the bush."

       The air was getting colder. Suddenly, for some reason, Daina's
voice almost seemed reproachful: "Do your parents know where you're
about? --Do they even care?" Daina's nose was a wrinkled freckle-
patch of -winsome- satisfaction-- "you might be too heavy to be
carried..." Daina's dark brown hair hung around her face, as she
examined Tom's injured knee. Her eyes developed a quizzical
appearance, laughing at him.

       "Laz" was cat napping. He snorted in his sleep, as if
registering a movement, somewhere, out there in the bushland. He let
out a whispered snore, as if in a huge relief that a certain danger
finally bypassed him and left him safe. He sunk deeper into a
reverie, as if on cue. As Daina watched, his breathing turned more
rhythmic, and so was silenced -- as if with bandaids.. Daina reached
over, gently, and offered Tom a elasto-plaster, to cover up his
searing leg-gape.

       "Only my father is still alive. My mother died when I was
five..my father said... a car crash in London...she slid into a
telegraph pole, on a track of icy road--nobody could have seen it
coming.."

       Tom leaned back in his lawn chair. A light dawned somewhere,
but it was far away, too far away for all the weight he now must
carry. The light paused. Trapped within a shadow, panned between two
shifting clouds. His tea was getting cold -- a signal that the
partnership must now subside.

       And now the sun was beating down perpetually, the clouds began
crisscrossing . . . it reminded him of daybreak, dreaming: The
knowledge of an infinite horizon : And the child-like hours slipping
away disappearing into the world's hidden ideas, to be condensed one
day above a mountain range, and fall again, ever recycled, as
precipitation. This dream was one which, fortunately, could last
forever. "But -- a-grasping at dreams, a life could slip away! But to
lose them, that would be tragic, truly tragic. What am I going to
do?" he thought. But no answer came. Only blankness...tabla-rasa
that's what his mind's eye saw. Why didn't God ever tell him what to
do? Not like prayers about tending sheep with his rod and his staff,
but real things. He'd never had a rod nor a staff. He didn't even
know what the heck their function was in terms of sheep herding or
why anyone would be concerned with them in this day and age. Why
didn't God tell him about real things, instead of just having his
disciples write down those parables? Parables were nice, but they
could only go so far. And Tom was here, in Africa, very far from
home. There wasn't an olive tree in sight.

       A dust storm whipped up everything and forced the leaves and
twigs into a spiral. Before too long his friends would make tracks
and reach him. Everything was encapsulated here and lived on its own
terms, as if forgotten by all time. Soon the sky would open up and
rain would fall -- a rain which would drench them all, delightfully,
intensively to the bone.

       ... The Earth can only spin so far, and then it must recline
and tumble! A revelation, to be sure. As his father used to
exclaim, "The world's going to hell in a handbasket!" And it was!
Tom's mind's eye could see it or humanity, more properly, writhing
there in one giant handbasket, no longer capable of even turning in
their graves, being carried off by demons to that final day of
judgement, Jesus up there on his floating throne, no longer the
gentle Jesus, the baby Jesus, the helpless Jesus. No, this time, he
was the muscular Jesus-- the judge, like the kind who wear those
funny dark napkins on their heads as they hand down death sentences
to the black sheep of humanity. He would come to wreak vengeance on
the unrepentant. It was his right. He'd given them a chance and
they'd flubbed it and he consigned them to the gates of Hell. Funny
how Jesus and the Devil worked this sort of division of labour, what
with Jesus doing the pointing and Satan ordering his minions to drive
this or that herd of sinners into the flames. Thus, one never really
ever faced death, only eternities of heaven or hell or, if you were a
Catholic or a Communist, long transitional periods of purgatory or
socialism.

       "Tom, how long do you think you'll to stay here?" said Daina,
unexpectedly -- "we don't want you wandering all over the place --
there are dangers here. Wild animals, in particular... Laz killed a
leopard only last week."

       The realisation he was on his own and in danger, poured springs
of cool and tepid water over Tom-- reviving him: --"I have Leslie
waiting for me, back in QueQue -- she's alone: I'm heading back , to
bring her something special." Tom thought of Leslie's smile and how
she would grin when she saw him again. It was all warm and inviting.
Yes, to Leslie's smile. No to her hot body. Yes to her intoxicating
toes: No to her forehead, which was too broad. Yes to her willingness
to engage the forgiving embrace of unconditional love. No to actually
embracing her. After all, there was the hot body to worry about. Tom
was afraid of being burnt. And he would be burnt, he would surely be
burnt, if he gave in to sexual pleasure. The road to hell was paved
with pleasure's lures.

       "Lurid woman! Out of my head," Tom shouted.

       "What?" Daina asked.

       "Oh, nothing", Tom said sheepishly.

       A bush fire, that morning, had swept its way across the farm;
yet pre-burnt areas had saved them. Daina's gold-brown eyes flashed
inwardly, in the certain knowledge that boundaries were changing,
squaring, losing form. Her own body was losing form. Age was
relentlessly beating her down into a kind of shaplessness mass. She
imagined herself growing old, lines becoming ever more deeply etched
into her forehead. "Repulsive", she thought and frowning, she decided
on diversion, picking up the old SPIEGEL catalogue her cousin had
mailed to her from Chicago.

       Yet grass seed dusted and swept across the land -- and Tom
remembered Leslie with her violet eyes and golden hair, cascading, as
it were, around her body. "Here's a cigarette for you: Don't lose it!-
- and remember, to take a map and write down where you're going!" she
told him. The fresh cigarette Leslie had given him would soon be
ashes. He'd taken it without a thought. He KNEW Leslie had a taste
for all forms of corruption -- --cigarettes would be her tender -- or
meagre, 'offering'. His father and god, who art in heaven, would be
displeased, as women were a menace to the nice. "Even had proven
that," he reflected. His penknife was nice. In spite of this, he
wasn't happy, especially about the dullness of its main blade.

       Nothing would be allowed to become jaded, dull or green --
  . . . But everything would most certainly be perfect, somehow,
someday. Though, through its own natural course. Leslie had been in
agreement with this sentiment for she too believed in his father. Ah
Leslie...he remembered that time when she had nodded, and passed him
a pencil-thin joint, and a roll of silver paper from her ciggie box.
As a couple, they had escaped all crispening dryness, and any near
disaster.

       But Tom was anxious. He suspected Leslie might have returned to
Vermont by now. His travels had taken ever so much time. She would
probably get married, have three kids, and die there, as she always
told him she wanted. Tom just wanted to return to her now--
instantly!

       But more than that, he wanted to collect, and dust off, his new
bike, which for sure would 'of gotten "all messed up", "worsened for
the wear". Surely, he could get patches, glue and a pump from Daina
and Laz. Then, he would take just a little more time. He would ride
to the place his mother had been married in. Sure, it wasn't
something she could ever thank him for (an Irish way of thinking upon
it, he flashed) which was impossible now, although he wished she
might. He didn't want thanks -- he wanted kisses, even if they came
from a ghost. "Doesn't everyone want that unconditional love?"

       For Tom, warm, plump faces of girls, like Leslie, were thoughts
to be desired -- and anticipated as well. For they promised freedom
from these incessant yearnings for his mother's forgiving kiss, the
sickly sweet smell, the veil, the altar, the church, its whiteness,
so crisp and cold and pure like the driven snow. Was this not the
greater sin?

       That night Tom slept well. In a way, he felt as if he'd
confessed to himself. A desert rain would interrupted the simmering
humidity. Yet he awoke with a start. He was decided. He would be
paying a visit to the cathedral where his mother had been married.

       "You are the sort who looks like he LIKES the sticks and mud!--
You should enjoy the journey !" Tom's father had said before he left
Texas, for Tom was sure, even then, that he would be making this
pilgrimage. Tom's father's dog had loped up at the sound of the human
commotion between Tom and his father that day. He dog- smiled and
dribbled all around, smearing blood dropped saliva in with the red
slimy residue on his canines. Miraculously, it fell down the cracks
of a rotten boulder and dropped into the earth. It seemed like the
world laughed at this sight-- the sky emerged-- a bright penetrating
blue --resilient in its smile.

       This ever so vivid memory of Tom's came out of nowhere -- It
made him shudder. In a flash, Tom recollected another vision and this
one was equally horrific, yet, in a way, pure. There he was, right
near the place where his father, George, had sharpened a large
butcher's knife on a rock, just outside his shop in the city. Most of
George's inspirations had come from the rock, for the rock was true.
Yes, that's what George was always saying, "The rock is true."
Unchanging, it was stable, dependable, a thing of wonder and mystery.
Language, truth and logic, his father had a way of precisely
separating them.

       One day, he had said to his son, "Tom, take your mother's
wedding band off her hand, and go and get it enlarged - She is
telling me it now cuts into her circulation." And Tom was glad to
help. His mother's skin was alabaster, and so soft you could see her
blue and purple veins protruding, threaded throughout her fingers
like a spider's web; perhaps it was her English quality? ...a
certain "displeasure" of the sun? "It burns me so," she used to say
to him. The milky mildew texture of her features were shocked against
existence in the waves of African Sun which had penetrated, leaving
hints of cracks and lines to come. Tom's father had sharpened a large
butcher's knife on his rock. It was just outside his shop in the
City. His father was most definitely not a traditionalist, but he had
made an exception in this case -- due to his disdain for the
peculiar 'buzz' of electrical devices. There had been a 'buzz' one
night. "Impurity!" Tom had heard his father yelling at his mother in
their bedroom as he lay awake in his room, his eyes moving anxiously
back and forth under their lids.

       She had died quite suddenly. Her death had come soon after
George and his son had finally migrated back to civilisation -- It
was not entirely unexpected. The lies she had been told about the
mildness of the Texan heat must have taken their toll.

       "Don't lose that ring! It is important --", Tom remembered
George yelling at him. But Tom, feeling the heat, as if in a whirl of
steam, he had dropped it. Down. Next to the rock, it fell, where it
had slipped. He had been wetting his pen knife in order to make an
incision in his overalls. He had only been testing the blade. He like
testing his blade for sharpness. Then, in the sweat and heat Tom lost
his clarity of vision. Damnable sweat! Salt water, not gentle, like
tears or baby shampoo. It irritated his eyes to distraction. And what
bedlam there had been when he confessed to his clumsy crime! Hellish
denunciations were to be endured-- until his father found the golden
ring -- whereupon he scolded Tom for being so careless. It was at
this very moment, the moment of Tom's most extreme humiliation that
George forgave Tom. Quite reluctantly and with profound forbearance,
he had advised, with rich, rump-textured tones, "My son, I love you,
and sometimes you do behave just like Tarzan's Chimp -- but we must
also forgive the chimps my child!" Tom had been eight.

       The next day, Tom only wanted to say good-bye; just once and
for all excuse himself to both Daina and her husband. Yet his shirt
was on the wrong way round. He was no Tarzan. "Tarzan never wore
shirts anyway," he said under his breath.

       "You are really not leaving are you, Tom?" You KNOW I'll be
alone," Daina said.

       The fire -- the heat -- had been dismissed as part of nature's
fury -- a natural disaster. The blackness of the land was already
flecked with green. --Sprouts of life were nature's own. And all of a
sudden, everything seemed ever so far off and yet so close. For it
was Leslie he had loved. And, Tom remembered well this time of year,
and how it felt when they had first "made love".

       The deciduous trees had whistled and echoed, just like they did
today. Tom had gone down the bush path to meet her, his palms
sweating through his pink, clenched-up fingers. It was a secret
meeting. They had conspired together, like thieves in the night. The
sun skimmed along her form, all along the dull bush path, a yard off.
Summer colours chimed with insects, intersecting, flying, buzzing,
crawling in the wet, green hedges. Shimmering lights appeared. The
sun had masked her, shuffling up the garden path-- he pulled her
tightly to him. He'd let his tongue penetrate her open, inviting
mouth. He laughed with her; touched her lips, caressed them, sucked
them, licked them.

       No, that was a fantasy. He should admit it. The truth would set
him free. He must confess, if even only to himself. No, instead,
she "leaned back" and he took her breasts in his mouth, tipped them
onto his tongue on every pass. He'd noticed the sounds around him
were becoming bigger, coherent. "There was a rhythm to the Earth," he
remembered thinking that, "and a song".

       That was the same day of the evening when they'd passed each
other one of Leslie's ciggies as they sat at the beach campfire. What
a strange night. In the corner of his eye he remembered catching a
meteorite, time-travelling the night sky -- and he had been awestruck.

       And as he looked at her, her smile, twisted, her laugh echoing
in the flickering light. At that moment, he just wanted
to . . . . . . . . smoke some more, look up at the constellations of
the night and then to continue to hold her. And Leslie had whispered
in his ear, " Tom, I am a cool, nectarine drink--and I let you suck
the nectarine from me, although I didn't suck the nectarine from you--
not this time anyway -- I still remember the crashing ocean on the
beach, and the blur and the haze, of your leaving me."

       What did it all mean? Tom could not fathom it. It seemed so
like a dream at the time -- but it was not just another haze of the
unreal. She'd said it in the aftermath of a day of social
hieroglyphics: Such things as the clothes we wear, the way we brush
our hair, the way we clean our teeth at night, or fail to do so and
must try and remember in the morning...all these elements that must
brush us away. "I still remembered holding you around your waist",
she breathed, " your belly firm and supple, and your cock soft and
warm as a dream. The perfect shape."

       Then the transformation. In a motion dream. The beach, the line
of sand dunes -- still warm, all in motion.

       " It seemed to me we were creating soft waves," she had said to
him once.

       "You were determined; funny--making our whole lives seem
gratuitous.

       "Soft penetration; deep arc.

       "The night slipped by -- we slept as we had never slept --
under the influence of a heavy drug.

       "I would have sucked the warm pollen from you if only I could
have," Leslie swooned.

       Tom grinned. It had finally come to him. He knew what pollen
meant.

       "Another night -- and hope was closing in on us," she had
said. "We had to live on hope instead of some bread of hope; we knew
this was just around the corner.

       "We knew an end was just around the corner,

       "~~ and so we couldn't even say "good-bye. We simply threw up
in a separate veggie patches; and departed."

       What had she meant by this? Oh yes, the Jameson's made us ill.

       "Instead, we might have jumped into the soft flowerbed and let
the green sea swirl us far, and far away!"

       Indeed, upon the grasslands, Tom's mind had erupted, separated
so to speak. He had seen Her ghost, locked frantically into another
time. It had been then that he'd broken his hold on Leslie. His
mother intervened. The sickly sweet smell. What was it? L' Air du
Temps Parfum left long unused on the bedroom shelf? It had been her
favourite.

       Yes, it was then that they'd drifted, fallen apart.

       "Leslie!" Tom had sighed-- and coolness faded over the greens.
He stood alone again, beside the path, sucking in soft tears against
his hot cheeks. He remembered his mother. Oh poor mother. She had
found the crumpled conveyance from his father. He could see her. She
held the onion skin paper between her silky, quivering finger bones.
The writing in it didn't make any sense.

       "The Earth has no heart. It has a big, frightening cock,
instead." He knew it now. Day would come, and Death would come --
three things. Mean time, NIGHT would shield him and protect his
dreams.

       And Leslie, she had shrugged her shoulders, as if she hadn't
actually expected anything, right from the start. She tried to get
started, but.... "Tom? What is the matter? ...You have . . .
problems?-- Is it ... HOME?

       "Oh! Tom? What will you do? Will you stay? ...or will you go
back home-- now?"

       It was all too much for poor Tom--the voices echoed, softly, in
his head as Leslie quaked softly -- her mascara soon stained by
random-flowing tears --tears which would go on , up to NOWHERE,
recycle, sift over the Earth in pain, and roll into the Sea.

       "My mother!" Tom had said, finally.

       "What?" Leslie replied.

       "I just wanted to Say.. I wanted to SEE where she lived, how
she was married.." "--How she lived?"

       Leslie's learned school teacher repartee was precise and to the
point, "Oh, Tom!"

       Tom could see her now when he closed his eyes. Leslie was
packing up her things: the books, the brushes, the little curly paper
winds she had used to do her hair.

       "I'd love to stay and chat, Tom, but you seem to be entangled
in so many things; and it's too much for me right now... Everything
has lost its balance , Tom -- we must keep ours, as solitary
individuals-- and if you do not find your dreams, make sure they will
see to it, we are punished! We are so lucky to have had this time,
together, and we simply cannot hope for more than this .."

       These last words fell away into a whisper. They drifted off--
these sounds of their conversations faded and were gone. And Tom,
reflecting back, was certain now--what had been said could not be
easily undone. A master, a peasant... a north wind sympathiser...His
thoughts of Leslie stopped. He was ..virtually "gone" from her
now...back to the place where he'd left his bike --, to rust and fall
apart in the rain, unprotected and unloved and with a flattened tire.

       Grass always grew green under his Father's feet: The Earth
degrades. His father had said this was its natural pattern. But -
people_ WILL spring up from it. And for his father, degradation
always brought the hope of something newer. Love was surely a cold,
hard stone -- an amethyst. No, the resemblance to the softness of ..
the dream... a cow's heart, a pulsating, red, sacrifice: A soft
intensity. The life once given could not easily be taken back.

       Tom remembered his father giving him cows' hearts to play with,
collected from the weekend at the slaughter yard -- which Tom was
expressly forbidden to visit. Goats' hearts too, accumulated from the
weekend's work. And offal, plenty of offal. The soft vibrancy of
their liquid surface--an artistic curiosity. A delicate boy (from his
mother's side), Tom doted on the funnels and the passage which lead --
  one way or another -- into the pumping valves and out again, and
from the other side. The intricacies of life...a soft jewel, a
forbidden present. His dreams were detours through this heart; a
means to pass the time: A gift. The earth was less kind to women.
Africa was dry as dust. His mother knew that.

       When the pain started, Leslie stopped. And where pain STOPPED,
there, Leslie could come into fruition again. And thus, was
everything predicated on pain -- a STRONG definition and logical,
too! Nobody could argue with it!

       "Good-bye Leslie -- I have already loved you!! Toss up your
freckled nose!"

       And Leslie....

       "You cannot see it, Tom? Your mother's country set the stones
for you to follow. Now you follow them everywhere. You follow in the
way of women who have gone before, and you don't know 'Why',"

       Tom chortled, looked down and began to walk back in the
direction of where he had left his bike. Leslie saw her blond boy
disappearing off into the distance. Caught up in a storm, pursuing
cobbled stones along a dirt road. He disappeared: a slouching heap of
bowed-over bones, "who will soon be reclining over his fucking,
precious bike again. Human genetic material, it was," Leslie
thought, "heading south on some guilt infested oedipal
pilgrimage,"she shrugged.

       Tom's blond hair disappeared into the grey....she had pulled a
stray one from his chest. It had caught up against her neck , inside
her collar, as they'd said "good-bye". He was too pale for this
country -- Almost a ghost now . . . blended white with light grey on
the old tar road. Yet: "Something in the wind loves him?" -- she
sighed. She knew this was untrue, but it made her feel good to think
it and to think it honestly.

       The night was ebony. It had suddenly turned inky, and seemed as
though it would remain so for the duration. Still, Tom found his
racer, sooner than he thought he would -- under a tree. Twisted and
grey, unloved by the earth , as if spewn out by a demon. There was no
hope ... here, he thought. Besides, the gravel hurt his feet. He got
on his bike and peddled as fast as he could, south, to warmth, ever
south, to the bright, to the light from above.

       He found his way to Fort Victoria and met up with some locals.
There, if he decided to, they would share some beer. He'd liked
frothy maize beer when he first had tried it -- it was ....
intoxicating. And it made him forget his more morbid thoughts. The
ghosts in the chapel were dead, and so were his ancestors. "Let them
bury themselves," he mused. Years and years of dead bodies,
straining, linking to each other under ground, all the way back to
the bottom of the earth and the beginnings of time. So, were his
thoughts on living and on being alive.

       After Fort Victoria and his hangover, he took the right fork in
the road out of town. He bent the bow against his former path. "I'm
going home to Love," he told himself, his headache throbbing. "Ah!
the warm nested cradle of my expectations! The past of brave Old
Souls, giving warmth to frozen, hidden hearts." These were the
stories his mother would have told -- she was up in the sky, and
looking down on him. (No longer a frozen heart.) She loomed up
graciously, with the hot smell of brandied spirits. The thought of
brandy made his sick to his stomach. The ancestral spirits would be
his guides. They could soothe into a liquid form, a lost heart.

       A black cloud, an ancestral thumb, a snub nose, a hairy soft,
inviting toe, warmed itself on the horizon. A stray storm cloud,
merging obliquely with the grey, beneath a reddening sun: Profuse
with life, some storm birds -scampered- upwards, arched in rows over
the sky, in search of succour, life, the wind in his face, his
bicycle arching along...

       "I am going to the chapel, to find my mother," he'd announced -
to Leslie. "MY past, and My life......." -- There is warmth here, in
the cradle of mankind .."and such cool air!" "We are never alone,
when we at peace with ourselves," "We find this peace, and that will
make us free." -- the rhythm of life, falling, rising, the soft
pulsating of life, the dull zip of the bike, and clinker as he
altered gears . . . . the efficiency of a Western
lifestyle...Sundays, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, McDonalds,
Walmart, Big John Mazmanian, Funny Cars...

       Back home in West Texas, his father wielded his long, baton-
stick. Tom-Thumb, the sheep dog nudged George's arm. Thumb had always
been a good replacement for his son or so George thought. He'd had to
be. George stroked the corn-silken hair of the grateful porch dog. --
Musing-- Tom had always brought his school work home, and was always
quiet and respectful. He was the very model of a perfect son. His
hair was so long and brown. The unexpected attention which had just
come made him pant-- he was the perfect model of a perfect companion.

       George threw the ball, as he soliloquised: "My son, you are the
loyal 'pal': I love you!"

       "Your energy surely knoweth no bounds -- hence I love thou!"

       "Whenever - (that's at any time), I throw a ball , you must
come bounding up; your hair is as if on fire, in reflection of the
glaring sun! When you bring back the ball, I will feed you and take
care of you and you will thank me with wags, just as I thanketh the
Lord with prayer." And yet....these words had always been plain
enough to see : "You are NOT good enough!" If ever he should show a
trace of waywardness or unpredictability, he'd brought himself in
line, and humbly conceded, what was important in this life was to
be "good" -- his Father smiled in fondest memory.

       Old crimes were easily forgiven. When Tom played his
basketball, he had a firm strong, body. Sinewy even. Not flabby like
today. He was a creature to be seen -- with his alabaster white
skin , "his firm and lengthy body, stretching...stretching... for the
hoop.... He brings it back, I pat him well, on the head....Oh, your
mother used to say you would grow up to be a big, strong, boy," his
father muttered, resolutely-- patting the silky creature next to him,
gently upon the head-- "And she was right!" Oh, if your mother didn't
know it -- she was --always-- right!! So far right was she,, she died
on the blade of her own belief in me."

       The boy had understood this was just George's way of just
consoling himself: his dog, his ball, his mutterings -a mental and
emotional barrier against the recall of her loss.

       Tom had often known humid days like these -- clouds hung low
air soft and silky, and yet defined... enough humidity to rain -- but
still the crisp, and countervailing force, prevailed...breathing in
refreshing air, refining it, through the earth. The cool and gentle,
probing fingers , reaching up to life. He was reborn again -- a MAN
on a bicycle now -- he was still a dreamer, on a sea of shaky clouds
and ice. This dark could do this to a human; if he is enough of an
intrepid dreamer. The coolness wiped away sullen, drooling clouds let
forth the possibility of early morning rain. Like Tom, the hyena
could be seen, soon lapping up the traces of the morning's spoils,
ingesting the sweet carrion through its lulling glands, along the
track it follows. Tom absorbed the air of the explorers -- Sucked it
down, ingested it. Threw it up, for it had intoxicated him. Until he
was but a fractured, memory-remnant of the Western world -- Still,
part of Africa, and therefore in a categorical and finite sense, not
yet civil, holy. The bike felt good under him, sturdy, balanced.

       He owned no real home, not any more, yet he followed a dream,
the will of an apparition; the dream of a man with a raised and
pointed spear. "That other life is not for you , Tom. Here you might
breathe". . . .the warm thought exposing his fears, unveiling his
dreams. " . . .If you must breathe at all" . . . The warm tongue of
the hyena freshens over frosted and cold scent glands. "Our ancestors
will always reach out to us through their will." Tom's ancestor had
heavy boots, and whimsical eyes. His ancestor gazed soulfully up to
the skies, and laughed a little. His boots were red and overlarge.
His eyes were overdrawn, and startled looking.

       And then, he felt a presence, as if he was no longer alone,
zipping along on a lonely, African dirt road. He was somewhere..out
beyond an old farm gate on a small kraal , tucked up and cordoned
off, in a rambling, abandoned section of a farm. The sky slunk in
heaviness with its humidity and yet the air remained clear, the
firmament appeared black with sparkling specks of ivory; paused to
dust off feet, a detail of childhood which Tom repeated. Looking up
at the sky, looking at its solid, shimmering sackcloth and
translucent panthers, moving in the night, Tom felt a bit nervous,
frightened....The kraal smoked . . . dust flew: Ashes, wood smoke,
dead bones, and the smell of cooking hen. He saw no lights, except a
shiny flicker of a mud hut wall; its circularity gave it some harsh
form. It was a home -- a break from his long journey.

       A dust track led him so - far-. - it was cold! --the sweat, the
silence, made it damper -- turned to freezing under all the wool
against the skin. ... As he approached this structure --shadows began
disappearing into nightfall--. Seeing the body of shadow against
other shadows. That was the time he remembered: "Come here Tom!!" --
the way his mother used to say it. He chased her ghost along the
hills' slope...

       "Yeessss," the voice queried in flat song. Ah yeess. Alright,
you can sleep out here. If you are not cold? Well, fine."

       "I've come down here to find my . .bike," Tom said, holding his
racer.

       The man stood near the grass fence, holding in cattle, smiled
and pointed to Tom's bike.

       "Tom, Tom, the butcher's son" went through his head at that
moment. And then, he spied the man's cattle. He enjoyed watching the
animals shivering off the mosquitoes. He set his bike against the
fence.

       The man led Tom to the hut. Hushed whispers.

       "Who were they...these? Apparitions...? Parents? Teachers?" Tom
was unsure. There was time enough for slowness, for a fumbling-- a
match-a paraffin light flares up a dull pink and orange. Flashes of
light around the hut revealed shifting body patterns, almost
shapeless up against the shadows, twirling 'round the wall. A soft
interchange ensued .... "but still, they seem only to last forever",
Tom thought, why he did not know. The forms stopped and simmered as
the light was turned suddenly away. And then him, the masked shaman
appeared and as quickly, he disappeared. Then he appeared. Only to
disappear again.

       Just outside, the sky was black again, cold as coal. The air
inside became filled with forms that can only be felt as you approach
them--rocks and huts and trees. These seemed as if to reformulate
themselves as they were passed by, as by a twirling cycle into
blackness, nothingness.

       Tom abruptly left through the hut door. And the grass outside
was cold and silky, crumbling, soft with the plenitude of night-
formed dew. The trees began to circle round them, for others had
exited shortly after Tom and the man who had tended cattle
swung 'round his lamp. Tom was shaken into life by the very depth of
nothingness. Bodies seem to follow, trickling. Something moving in
the void, losing their shape in everything else, as they passed by.
He pretended that the stars were Cops, and began shooting at them
with his index finger, systematically.

       Their brave reflections broken down, were reconstituted, broke
down and reformed, as if their souls were rocks and trees and air.

       The shaman put the lamp down on the formless earth. It shaped a
glow, became a greenish light, moving forms of sand and gravel. And
nobody spoke. They did not speak. They guffawed instead. Again, they
moved. They climbed upwards now and the guide was on the point of
disappearing. His swinging paraffin lamp still marked his solitary
form, an almost gesture-less form of irradiation emerging,
punctuating the darkness. It spilled, heaping onto the rocks and the
trees, which were now up, away, like helium balloons, released, free.
Tom continued to grapple with the earth, lifting the gravel with the
toe of his shoe. New emerald green shoots had appeared between the
shreds and spokes of yellow grasses. Up above the hill, the sky
cracked open. There was, as it would seem, a plenitude of bright
light.

       No, it had been merely the light from another lonely campfire.
Tom walked toward its inviting light. And here were shocked, white
faces, laughing, talking, whispering up into the sky. He breathed out
sighs of relief. --"Come. It's warm here in the campfire light. The
body can recuperate all its gathered sweat and tears," a British
voice said. Night sheltered everything. There was no one else for
miles.

       Shallow grins returned to lightening flashes of recollections,
slunk low beneath the dreamer's hollow surface. Faces which had been
invisible were now brought to mind. The dust that fell was flat:
ghostly, cold. Smoke let out an age old smell-and flavour-- from a
far-off thatched-roof chimneys. The tension eroded all desire for
light touching -- Fingers slithered off ...into the blackness. Tom
sighed. The grass was also flattened, and nothing answered his lament.

       Then, somebody let out a cry. A cackle. Followed by a joke. The
muffled huffing of compressed emotions, expressed as a solitary
whimper of aloneness. Tom's life had been until now.... laughter, a
sense of elevation....

       "How did you get here?" a voice asked. He had no idea how far
he'd walked and ridden his bike. His legs were aching: His brain was
throbbing, in the dust and heat. "How did you get here?" Tom
asked. "We hitchhiked down from Vic Falls, after our bus broke down,"
one voice said. "So we decided to go South. We travelled here in
every sort of vehicle. "Why are you here?"

       "You'll understand properly, in good time," Tom replied. "No, I
mean, my mother. Her wedding chapel. I'm here to find it."

       "Here?" a voice came.

       "No, not exactly here," Tom replied.

       At that point, the conversation dropped off. The sky was still
thick as hessian for all of its release, as if holding down the earth
in static lack of motion and oppression. He and the four visitors to
Africa shared toasted flesh, though it was gray and slippery, inside.
And with rivets of pink and white, still not well-cooked. Tom ate
anyway, for that boy was hungry. He ate the charcoal and the raw
bits, too, slurping and licking it, until there was nothing
left. "The flames are going out. Maybe some kind soul will fetch us
soon..? There are only thorn bushes around here!" a woman said.

       "I'll look for more wood, further out!" A body was departing,
features flurried... in the flickering... Tom saw it was Leslie's.
But that could not be. Leslie was gone or rather, he had left Leslie
long ago.

       And then the sky rained blood on them, heavy, cold and thick,
putting out their fire and scattering the visitors towards whatever
shelter they could find. Tom ran into the night as well, his
imagination charging at full steam. The flash of disintegrated
comets, falling in pools of love, into the desert passed before his
mind's eye. They felt it as warmth -- that they were ghosts of
missionaries, and starlit and crazy, -- ghosts of freedom fighters --
The cold did not affect these crazy apparitions, nor did it make
their teeth chatter. The earth was not so parched that it soaked up
the rain, but it rather let the streamlets flow out around, gushing
down and swirling its way around their bodies, cutting ice into their
spine bases..

       "I'm so tired . . .frightened, and now my shoes are soaked."
Hushed whispers followed. A form in human shape appeared, stooped;
fumbled for a match to strike a paraffin light. It flared up a dull
pink and orange.

       The figure flashed the light around the faces, revealing
shifting body patterns, almost shapeless up against the shadows,
twirling 'round the thorn bushes. The forms stopped and seemingly
simmered as the light was turned, suddenly, away! A hand fell on
Tom's shoulder, "I have come to get you now!" -- the witchdoctor's
echo resounded; at this moment, soft and hushed. Each followed by
holding on to a long stick, to keep their paces solid, steady, and
together -- a game he had often played with Mother.

       "I seek my mother's Spirit-- ?" Tom replied with shaking tone.

       "We will speak to her, for you!" the voice sounded assured,
compliant.

       "I thought I might have lost my precious bike," Tom confessed,
with his shamefaced earnestness-"also my air gun." For he'd just
remembered he'd misplace that as well.

       "Ah, we will be the ones to help you find it."

       The trees appeared to circle round the couple, as Tom's guide
swung 'round the lamp. Shaken into life by the very depth of
nothingness, bodies seemed to flow, as if by a trick, or magic
element. The forms now lost their shape in bush and trees and as they
past by, the light echoed, spilling into rocks and trees which were
now some distance off. The air contained a silence, once again --
tracks of missing birds. Huts, brick hostels, and chimneys -- all
transposed in light and golden flashes from the lantern up above. A
dog sniffed them there; growling huskily. The cur slunk in those
shadows -- almost a part of those shadows, and not real, skulked
under the clamour and fatigue. It followed Tom, and snapped at behind
his ankles. The cold air cut his gut. The man in the humidified hut
shook up blocks, holding them vehemently, in cold contempt, viewing
his new guests with shocked suspicion. Throwing a gash opened glance
at them, he smiled. The man's thorn-stick poked the boy; just like a
cold thing, in the ribs, provoking a warm, alcohol-sensation. Tom
thought his heart would leap on to the stick: It didn't.

       The witchdoctor shrieked, guffawed; yearned, and cried: "You
are not ...afraid..?" "Don't speak -- Drink--!" A hot pink liquid
gushed, clung to his veins , stung his lips as it passed. The face
became more frightening, intense, more quizzical, emphatic: "You
like...?"

       Tom swallowed.

       "I want to fiinnnnd maaeey way to go baaaack hooome!" cried
Tom, his voice meandering, and quivering.

       "Your mother left you!!But first, your father murdered her!!"
the witchdoctor cackled, quite hysterically.

       The temperature immediately sunk. A dog howled. Tom laughed and
shivered as well and time slowed for what seemed centuries -- as the
ghosts and forms of the present time receded.

       As the air cleared up, the smoke dissipated, and everything was
sharp. The apparitions became strong again, solemn, and tangible.

       "Go back quietly -- I will come again for you!"

       Tom walked alone, back to the abandoned hut-- and tucked
himself inside , under hessian blankets. Snuggled in a corner, found
a space and dreamt of Leslie, thought of Leslie, sucked her golden
nipples and then awake, thought of life and death, which was like the
blackness outside, would never reach them, inside in this coolness,
in this snugness. Death had taken her--his mother, his father, how
could he-- he knew, kept her safe, inside a cave, and safe from his
father's rage. The sinking feeling --as if he'd become so accustomed
to the vaporizing feeling of the soul, AS IF nothing was solid, as if
everything he'd been told must be a lie and was gone, suddenly! All
had been vanquished in the breeze of the now calm African night,
which penetrated into the broad mud hut, through an open door. It
gave him peace -- which was all he could hope for in the silent
night. "It was DARK -it WAS freezing -- We almost -got- lost but then
the villlagers found us!" he'd tell his all his acquaintances back
home. "The apparitions from the witch doctor came and rescued us." "--
BUT -- before, I fell and cut myself -- And LOOK -- I've even got the
scar to prove it...." And outside, the night was still pitch black.
And Tom, resting, half awake, half rested, transfixed by its
stillness, he was finally lulled to sleep again.

       This was a true sleep, deep sleep, transfixed in the bosom of
Leslie. Leslie's thighs, so deep and welcoming. His dreams were not
thwarted -- he was IN them, feeling them, feeling the warm flesh body
actually surround him. Soft, and yet so warm, the depth contrasted
with the silky surface, so: dreams of newness, starting, and
beginning again.

       Immediately there were strong, half muffled voices, in another
language. Yiddish? Not English--African. A furious dialogue
resounded: Incoherent to him, in his now half frightened slumber:
LOUD, an interchange that went on over , and over, following the same
pattern. And then, ever so silent.

       The sun came up some days afterwards. George Miller stood near
the hut and surveyed his son's long, fallen body, notebook in hand,
writing with meticulous care. It was a sharp, bright day, and light
flooded everything - more brightly, he thought, than anything he had
ever seen!

       As far as the body went there was not a scratch on it... Almost
a perfect corpse, George wrote to himself. Except for the root of the
neck , where the blade had severed it clean through, it was still
perfect-- a token of snow in this strange African bush.

       "It was a clean kill." George would give them that. No human
sacrifice could have been more pure, he wrote. -- It was still ...
quite disturbing. But, in a pleasing sort of way. "One becomes a
thing and feels pleased with these things, after a while. His will be
done," he mused.

       Tom hadn't managed to fulfil his mission: After
all.... "Tom ..... had no lover: no wife!! He ...had only the soft
pallor of his alabaster skin... I too wanted mother. I found none. I
did find a chapel though. My cock has gone ... to roost with Jesus!"

       Cold, black raindrops started falling.

       "It was all natural, a God given cycle, it was. First day, then
night fell:-- BANG -- as if it were an executioner's blade....Thus --
nightfall," George thought. "The sacrifice was done."

       Dogs which scavenge had already come and then gone.





--
http://au.profiles.yahoo.com/ja2000ja
come off it!
--- End forwarded message ---

--- In PRIMATES_@yahoogroups.com, "Syed. S. Ahmed" <akif1999@y...>
wrote:
http://www.un.int/drcongo/index.html
--- End forwarded message ---

--- In WildlifeConservationDepartment@yahoogroups.com, "WCD"
<wildlifeconservationdepartment@y...> wrote:
for the WCD,
by Rebecca of Care2.com:
Requested Notice

Allowing commercial trade in endangered species will only lead to
increased poaching and more illegal trade. Tell President Bush to
reject
the importation of endangered species!
[http://www.care2.com/go/z/25285]

Protect endangered species from illegal poaching and trade.

It's 2005, yet the Bush Administration is trying to roll back the
clock
on the Endangered Species Act - including opening up commercial
trade
in
endangered species for the first time in 30 years.

Endangered species around the world are still recovering from
decades
of
poaching. Since 1970, more than 90 percent of the world's wild
rhinos
have disappeared, slaughtered for their horns. And in the 1980's,
over
half of Africa's elephants were killed, primarily for their ivory
tusks.

Yet the Bush Administration's radical proposal would dramatically
weaken
the protections for over 550 foreign species - including elephants
and
rhinos - now covered by the Endangered Species Act.

Please sign this petition to urge the Bush administration to rescind
this dangerous proposal. [http://www.care2.com/go/z/25285]

This proposal endorses the importation of endangered animals and
body
parts to benefit their conservation. But the plan includes no
standards
to verify that any of the money spent on importing endangered
animals
or
body parts actually goes to conservation, and is so vague that it
practically invites fraud and illegal trade.

The problem is, legal trade in wildlife body parts invariably leads
to
increased illegal trade and poaching, creating a market for
previously
illegal wildlife. The illegal international trade in wildlife and
wildlife products is worth billions of dollars annually. This
proposal
could lead to a resumption of the ivory trade in Africa; increased
poaching of rhinos for their horns; the capture of Asian elephants
for
U.S. circuses; and the importation of endangered wild parrots for
the
U.S. pet industry.

Please stand up for endangered species today!
[http://www.care2.com/go/z/25285] Let President Bush and Interior
Secretary Norton know that killing animals to conserve them doesn't
work, and that you oppose their plan to allow importation of
endangered
species.

Thank you for helping to protect the Endangered Species Act!

-Rebecca Y.,
Care2 and ThePetitionSite team

Care2.com, Inc. - 275 Shoreline Drive, Suite 150 - Redwood City, CA
94065

for the WCD
--- End forwarded message ---

--- In AntiPoachers@yahoogroups.com, "Syed. S. Ahmed" <akif1999@y...>
wrote:
New Vision (Kampala)
www.allafrica.com/stories

Gerald Tenywa
Kampala

IT takes a three-hours drive northwards to escape the fumes of
Kampala and enter Ngoma, a natural paradise in Luweero.

It is made up of acacia trees, a bewildering profusion of plant life
and wild beauties. Here, the nomadic pastoralists have always lived
alongside leopards, lions and antelopes.

However, massive poaching and the game meat trade in Kampala are
threatening the unprotected wildlife sanctuary.

"This is one area well endowed with wild animals," says Uganda
Wildlife Authority's (UWA) acting head Moses Mapesa.

He adds that the animals should be used as assets to promote tourism.

Parts of Luweero, Nakasongola, Mubende and Kiboga districts form what
is left of the game corridor. The shrinking corridor, popularly known
as the Kafu Basin, connects Murchison Falls National Park and Karuma
Wildlife Reserve to the protected areas in western Uganda.

Over the years, the corridor has turned into 'killing fields'.

"If we check the wanton killings, the wild animal population can
recover," says Mapesa.

Wildlife population increased during the Liberation War (1980-1985).
The wild game thrived because there was little intrusion from the
people since most had deserted the area.

Poachers now have no respect for the area, which was a hunting ground
for Buganda's royals. Because they went there occasionally, hunting
was regulated.

UWA has been grappling with the problem of illegal hunting.

"Although a ban was imposed on hunting about two decades ago, it is
difficult to enforce it outside the protected areas," says Mapesa.

Sources say poachers and settlers kill wild animals, which are now
receding in numbers.

Wildlife sources in Ngoma say they have now blocked the pastoralists,
who used to move through the cattle corridor. Their corridor
stretched from northern Tanzania through central Uganda to Karamoja.

However, a recent survey conducted by UWA shows that a significant
number of animals still exist in the area. But the existing laws, the
Wildlife Act, Forest Act and the Local Government Act, have not been
implemented so as to benefit from the animals without destroying
them.

The Wildlife Act outlaws hunting because poachers kill animals
indiscriminately, which is not sustainable.

Mapesa says the Wildlife Law provides for sport hunting, which has
created incentives for communities such as those on the ranches
outside Lake Mburo National Park.

One buffalo can fetch as much as $600 (about sh1m) and the proceeds
are shared between landowners, local governments and associations
that manage the game.

They have subsequently built schools and health centres out of the
proceeds, according to a report, Benefits beyond boundaries,
presented at the World Park Congress in South Africa two years ago.

"This is more than the the sh50,000 poachers get from a carcass of a
buffalo," Mapesa adds.

The same venture can be introduced in Luweero to add value to
wildlife.

When that is done, wildlife management can out-compete other forms of
land use such as the destructive charcoal burning. Residents would
protect animals by curbing poaching.

"UWA has organised meetings in Luweero and Nakasongola to sensitise
residents on the various options of tourism, including sport
hunting," says Obong Okello, a UWA official.

District officials, including John Ngodwe, the acting vermin control
officer, say some cultivators and herdsmen see wild animals as a
nuisance.

"Because of the increasing population, there is massive destruction
of wildlife habitats," Ngodwe says.

Out of 21 sub-counties in Luweero, 18 are inhabited by vervet
monkeys, bush pigs and baboons, which disturb farmers.

Farmers say the animals destroy crops and are responsible for food
insecurity.

Ngondwe says pastoralists can live side-by-side with the wild
animals, except the lions and leopards, which attack them and their
livestock. However, landowners and the districts need to work
together to change tourism into a viable land use.

UWA officials say areas, which get less than 1,000mm of rainfall a
year, are not suitable for agriculture and overgrazing would destroy
the ecologically sensitive areas.

"The wild animals are adapted to this area and if they are wiped out,
the human population should expect disastrous consequences," says
Okello.

Meanwhile, donor agencies have supported Rhino Fund-Uganda and UWA to
establish a breeding sanctuary of rhinos at Ziwa Ranchers in
Nakasongola.

This could spur private initiatives of wildlife management. It could
act as a model of partnership, which is part of the new global
thinking of natural resources management.

So, both the locals and conservationists will benefit as the welfare
of the communities would improve and the wildlife be spared.
--- End forwarded message ---

--- In NecessaryDissent2@yahoogroups.com, smee <jankaraka@y...> wrote:
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-aalsmin-l@u... [mailto:owner-aalsmin-l@u...] On
> Behalf Of Boyle, Francis
> Sent: Friday, June 10, 2005 8:43 AM
> To: 'AALS Section on Minority Grps. mailing list' ('AALS Section on
Minority
> Grps. mailing list')
> Subject: Campaign To Impeach Bush!
>
>
>
>
   The
> National Campaign to Impeach President George W. Bush
> by
> Professor Francis A. Boyle
> Author, Destroying World Order (Clarity Press:  2004)
> Since the U.S. Supreme Court's installation of George W. Bush as
President in
> January of 2001, the peoples of the world have witnessed a
government in the
> United States of America that  demonstrates little if any respect
for
> fundamental considerations of international law, international
organizations,
> and human rights, let alone appreciation of the requirements for
maintaining
> international peace and security. What the world has watched
instead is a
> comprehensive and malicious assault upon the integrity of the
international
> legal order by a group of men and women who are thoroughly
Machiavellian in
> their perception of international relations and in their conduct of
both
> foreign policy and domestic affairs. This is not simply a question
of giving
> or withholding the benefit of the doubt when it comes to
complicated matters
> of foreign affairs and defense policies to a U.S. government
charged with the
> security of both its own citizens and those of its allies in
Europe, the
> Western Hemisphere, and the Pacific. Rather, the Bush Jr.
administration's
> foreign policies represent a gross deviation from those basic rules
of
> international deportment and civilized behavior that the United
States
> government had traditionally played the pioneer role in promoting
for the
> entire world community. Even more seriously, in many instances
specific
> components of the Bush Jr. administration's foreign policies
constitute
> ongoing criminal activity under well-recognized principles of both
> international law and U.S. domestic law, and in particular the
Nuremberg
> Charter, the Nuremberg Judgment, and the Nuremberg Principles.
> Depending upon the substantive issues involved, those international
crimes
> typically include but are not limited to the Nuremberg offenses of
crimes
> against peace, crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well as
grave
> breaches of the Four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the 1907 Hague
Regulations
> on land warfare, torture, disappearances, and assassinations. In
addition,
> various members of the Bush Jr. administration committed numerous
inchoate
> crimes incidental to these substantive offenses that under the
Nuremberg
> Charter, Judgment, and  Principles were international crimes in
their own
> right: viz., planning, preparation, solicitation, incitement,
conspiracy,
> complicity, attempt, aiding and abetting, etc. Of course the great
irony of
> today's situation is that six decades ago at Nuremberg,
representatives of the
> U.S. government participated in the prosecution, punishment and
execution of
> Nazi government officials for committing some of the same types of
heinous
> international crimes that members of the Bush Jr. administration
currently
> inflict upon people all around the world. To be sure, I personally
oppose the
> imposition of capital punishment upon any person for any reason no
matter how
> monstrous their crimes: Bush Jr., Tony Blair, Saddam Hussein,
Slobodan
> Milosevic, Vladimir Putin, Ariel Sharon, my former client John
Wayne Gacy,
> etc.
> Furthermore, according to basic principles of international
criminal law, all
> high-level civilian officials and military officers in the U.S.
government who
> either knew or should have known that soldiers or civilians under
their
> control committed or were about to commit international crimes, and
failed to
> take the measures necessary to stop them, or to punish them, or
both, are
> likewise personally responsible for the commission of international
crimes.
> This category of officialdom who actually knew or at least should
have known
> of the commission of such substantive or inchoate international
crimes under
> their jurisdiction and failed to do anything about it typically
includes the
> Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, Director of Central
Intelligence,
> the National Security Adviser, the Attorney General, the Pentagon's
Joint
> Chiefs of Staff and regional CINCs, and presumably the President
and Vice
> President. These U.S. government officials and their immediate
subordinates,
> among others, were personally responsible for the commission or at
least
> complicity in the commission of crimes against peace, crimes
against humanity,
> and war crimes as specified by the Nuremberg Charter, Judgment, and
Principles
> - at a minimum.  In international legal terms, the Bush Jr.
administration
> itself should be viewed as constituting an ongoing criminal
conspiracy under
> international criminal law.
> Consequently, on Tuesday 11 March 2003, with the Bush Jr.
administration's war
> of aggression against Iraq staring the American People, Congress
and Republic
> in their face, Congressman John Conyers of Michigan, the Ranking
Member of the
> House Judiciary Committee (which has jurisdiction over Bills of
Impeachment),
> convened an emergency meeting of forty or more of his top advisors,
most of
> whom were lawyers.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss and
debate
> immediately putting into the U.S. House of Representatives Bills of
> Impeachment against President Bush Jr., Vice President Dick Cheney,
Secretary
> of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and then Attorney General John Ashcroft
in order
> to head off the impending war.  Congressman Conyers kindly
requested that
> Ramsey Clark and I come to the meeting in order to argue the case
for
> impeachment.
> This impeachment debate lasted for two hours.  It was presided over
by
> Congressman Conyers, who quite correctly did not tip his hand one
way or the
> other on the merits of impeachment.  He simply moderated the debate
between
> Clark and I, on the one side, favoring immediately filing Bills of
Impeachment
> against Bush Jr. et al. to stop the threatened war, and almost
everyone else
> there who were against impeachment for partisan political reasons.
Obviously
> no point would be served here by attempting to digest a two-hour-
long vigorous
> debate among a group of well-trained lawyers on such a
controversial matter at
> this critical moment in American history.  But at the time I was
struck by the
> fact that this momentous debate was conducted at a private office
right down
> the street from the White House on the eve of war.
> Suffice it to say that most of the "experts" there opposed
impeachment not on
> the basis of enforcing the Constitution and the Rule of Law, whether
> international or domestic, but on the political grounds that it
might hurt the
> Democratic Party effort to get their presidential candidate elected
in the
> year 2004.  As a political independent, I did not argue that
point.  Rather, I
> argued the merits of impeaching Bush Jr., Cheney, Rumsfeld, and
Ashcroft under
> the United States Constitution, U.S. federal laws, U.S. treaties
and other
> international agreements to which the United States is a party,
etc.  Article
> VI of the U.S. Constitution provides that treaties "shall be the
supreme Law
> of the Land."  This so-called Supremacy Clause of the U.S.
Constitution also
> applies to international executive agreements concluded under the
auspices of
> the U.S. President such as the 1945 Nuremberg Charter.
> Congressman Conyers was so kind as to allow me the closing argument
in the
> debate.  Briefly put, the concluding point I chose to make was
historical:
> The Athenians lost their democracy.  The Romans lost their
Republic.  And if
> we Americans did not act now we could lose our Republic!  The
United States of
> America is not immune to the laws of history!
> After two hours of most vigorous debate among those in attendance,
the meeting
> adjourned with second revised draft Bills of Impeachment sitting on
the table.
> Certainly, if the U.S. House of Representatives can impeach
President Clinton
> for sex and lying about sex, then a fortiori the House can, should,
and must
> impeach President Bush Jr. for war, lying about war, and
threatening more
> wars.  All that is needed is for one Member of Congress with
courage,
> integrity, principles and a safe seat to file these currently
amended draft
> Bills of Impeachment against Bush Jr., Cheney, Rumsfeld, and now
Attorney
> General Albert Gonzales, who bears personal criminal responsibility
for the
> Bush Jr. administration torture scandal.  Failing this, the
alternative is
> likely to be an American Empire abroad, a U.S. police state at
home, and
> continuing wars of aggression to sustain both-along the lines of
George
> Orwell's classic novel 1984.  Despite all of the serious flaws
demonstrated by
> successive United States governments that this author has amply
documented
> elsewhere during the past quarter century as a Professor of Law,
the truth of
> the matter is that America is still the oldest Republic in the
world today.
> "We the People of the United States" must fight to keep it that way!
>
--- End forwarded message ---

--- In AntiPoachers@yahoogroups.com, "Syed. S. Ahmed"
<akif1999@y...> wrote:

News24.com

Tsavo East National Park - As the sun sets over the acacias and tall
grass in Africa's second-largest wildlife reserve in Kenya, game
wardens brace for the nightly onslaught of wily two-legged invaders:
poachers.

Driven by a drought-sparked surge in demand for illegal bushmeat and
hampered by stepped-up efforts to protect trophy species like
elephant and rhino, organised poaching rings are turning to
increasingly devious and brutal methods to hunt smaller game,
officials say.

"The bushmeat trade is taking a commercial trend due to insufficient
rains in the last four years," said Michael Kipkeu, Tsavo East's
deputy chief whose undermanned rangers struggle daily against the
growing conservation threat.

"It is a well-co-ordinated business," said Samwel Andanje, a Kenya
Wildlife Service (KWS) research officer at the park some 350km
southeast of Nairobi. "The poachers can come in very fast and
disguised."

Second in size on the continent only to South Africa's vast Kruger
National Park, the 13 747-square-kilometre Tsavo East poses an
enormous challenge for wardens policing Kenya's strict hunting laws.

Poachers want the freshest meat possible

Eager for the freshest meat possible, many poachers are turning away
from traditional snares -- which can leave a trapped animal lying
for days and prone to the vagaries of scavengers -- and have begun
to "spotlight" their quarry.

Singling out a lone animal, they blind it with a bright light and
sound an air horn to further stun the terrified creature and swiftly
slash off its legs with a machete, officials say.

In the past two years, KWS officers have arrested five men with the
carcasses of nearly 100 dik diks, the smallest species of antelope,
that had been killed in this manner, officials said.

Another newer method involves setting upturned nails in bits of wood
that are partially buried along well-worn game paths. An
unsuspecting animal that steps on such a device, hobbles away and is
easily tracked before it is caught or dies on its own, they said.

A worrisome trend

The meat, especially from small animals, is mainly for local
consumption, but as demand rises it is increasingly being sold in
Kenya's coastal towns of Mombasa and Malindi, they said.

"We lose between 10 to 20 animals a month," he said, recalling the
vast damage poachers did to once-massive elephant and rhino
populations in Kenya's Meru National Park in the 1980s and 90s.

After patrols aimed at saving larger beasts were boosted three years
ago, poachers in Tsavo East killed only 14 elephants in 2003 and
2004 and no such deaths have been recorded this year.

But park security officials say they have in the past month
collected 200 snares from one 50-kilometre stretch in the reserve,
where some 10 000 were found in 2002.

Edited by Fidelia van der Linde
--- End forwarded message ---

--- In PRIMATES_@yahoogroups.com, "Syed. S. Ahmed" <akif1999@y...>
wrote:
   Reuters
www.reuters.com
By David Lewis

Thu Jun 2,2005 11:46 AM ET

KINSHASA (Reuters) - Congolese park rangers who risked or even lost
their lives to save mountain gorillas, pygmy chimpanzees and white
rhinos as war raged around them have been honored two years after
the
conflict officially ended.

More than 40 park guards, bush trackers and local chiefs -- many of
whom fought off militia fighters, bandits and poachers in Congo's
lawless east -- were presented with the Abraham Conservation Award
in
Kinshasa late on Wednesday.

"The bravery, dedication and courage of this year's recipients is
incredible," U.S. based environmental group the Alexander Abraham
Foundation said in its presentation.

Mokilibe Atakuru and Likambo Masikini, two park guards from the
remote Garamba National Park on Congo's border with Sudan, were
posthumously recognized for their efforts to help to try to save the
world's last remaining northern white rhinos living in the wild.

They were both killed in May last year during a gun battle with
heavily armed poachers from the Janjaweed militia -- accused of
raping and killing in Darfur -- who swept into Congo on horseback
from Sudan to hunt down the rhino for their horns.

Attacks on ranger stations and anti-poaching patrols are common in
eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, which is renowned for its
diverse wildlife but has been at war for most of the last decade.

The vast central African country's forests are the sole habitat of
bonobos, or pygmy chimpanzees, one of humans' closest living
relatives which have been pushed to the brink of extinction by
fighting, conservationists say.

Although the latest conflict officially ended in 2003, the
government
is struggling to impose its authority and armed groups still hold
sway across vast swathes of the east.

Congo is home to five natural heritage sites and 200,000 square km
(77,230 sq miles) -- 8 percent of the country -- is protected land.
Since the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, millions of refugees have flooded
into the country and two wars have broken out, putting pressure on
its natural resources. Congo's parks have also had to cope with
myriad local militias and rebel groups from neighboring Sudan,
Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.

Virunga National Park, one of Africa's oldest, which lies on the
Rwandan border, was one of the most contested areas during Congo's
war and is now struggling to survive.

Some 100 rangers have been killed among its lowland forests, open
savannahs, snow-capped peaks and volcanoes since 1996.

Norbert Mushenzi, head conservationist in the north of the park, was
given an award for 34 years of service, during which he has been
arrested and repeatedly attacked by armed groups.

"We will all die one day, but if I die for a noble cause, then I
think it's worth it," he told Reuters.
--- End forwarded message ---

Friday, 3 2:00 PM Be the Creature: Expedition Ethiopian Wolf 327` NGC

Can someone tape for me.

We do not get NGC in our area!

Send tape to

Liza
PO BOX 791
CLEVELAND MS 38732-0791

--- In PRIMATES_@yahoogroups.com, "Syed. S. Ahmed" <akif1999@y...>
wrote:
http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/celebrity/dian_fossey/
--- End forwarded message ---

--- In PRIMATES_@yahoogroups.com, "Syed. S. Ahmed" <akif1999@y...>
wrote:
One-third of Africa's primate species -- and the most endangered,
the

drill monkeys and gorillas -- are found here as well as guenon

monkeys, hippopotamuses, chimpanzees, elephants and an incredible

diversity of migratory and resident birds.  The Nigerian gorilla may

prove to be a distinct subspecies.  If true, this would be the most

endangered gorilla population in the world.  Cross River state

harbors 950 species of butterflies -- a quarter of the number to be

found in tropical Africa; 100 are not found anywhere else and at

least three are new to science.  Many of Africa's rarest trees, such

as mahogany, ironwood, camwood and mimosup, grow in this forest,

which connects to a larger forest area in Cameroon.  Additional tree

species cut and exported from West Africa to Europe, Japan and the

U.S. include: afzelia (Afzelia africana), ekki, idigbo (Terminalia

ivorensis), obeche, and teak (Tectona grandis).  There may still be

flora and fauna species that remain to be identified.



The two greatest threats to Nigeria's rainforest and its forest

dependent species are logging and the growing demand for bushmeat.

Commercial hunting and poaching of wildlife, known as bushmeat, is a

major source of protein for Nigeria.  Fires and farms eat away at
the

jungleis edges, while logging and hunting strike at the heart of it.



Of the five percent of the primary forest remaining in Nigeria,

approximately half is legislatively protected in Cross River
National

Park.  Established by presidential decree in October 1991, it was

conceived largely through the efforts of focusing local and state

support behind a land-use plan fronted by WWF and backed by local
and

international NGOs and scientists.  The protected area is widely

considered too vulnerable to sufficiently protect many of the

endangered and threatened species it contains.  As with many forest

reserves worldwide, legal protection is not always rigorously

enforced. This and local communities' attitudes towards forest

resource use are the largest factors in determining the fate of the

forest's fragile and endangered species.  This is why many Nigerian

NGOs strongest efforts are currently focused in the forest

communities and on the state government.



The fight to preserve the forests of Cross River is unique in that

it's led by indigenous groups, notably, NGOCE (Non-Governmental

Organizations Coalition for the Environment) which has numerous
local

member organizations.

This is the official web-site of the cross river state of Nigeria:

http://www.crossriverstate.com/
--- End forwarded message ---

--- In WildlifeConservationDepartment@yahoogroups.com, "WCD"
<wildlifeconservationdepartment@y...> wrote:
for the WCD,
Requested Notice:

NEW/SEALED FEATURING MARTIN & CHRIS KRATT KRATTS' CREATURES :
Maximum
Cheetah Velocity & Runing with the Wild Dogs
MAXIMUM CHEETAH VELOCITY- Catch up with the cheetah...fastest land
animal on the planet. Speed along at 70 mph and see as they hunt a
gazelle, teaches her cubs to be big cats and more!
RUNNING WITH WILD DOGS- Meet African wild dogs at Kruger National
Park. See as they hunt a Hyena, flush out a mongoose and protect
their pups.

  Does anyone have an inexpensive copy of This video?

I need it plus any other African Wild Dog videos!

Liza,  PO BOX 791, CLEVELAND MS 38732-0791 USA

for the WCD
--- End forwarded message ---

--- In WildlifeConservationDepartment@yahoogroups.com, "WCD"
<wildlifeconservationdepartment@y...> wrote:
for the WCD,
Requested Notice:

I am asking everyone to please send me African Wild Dog videos
or related videos on Hyena, Dingo, Dhone, etc.

You can mail them to my post office box. They will be appreciated.

Lisa Kline
PO BOX 791
Cleveland MS 38732-0791 USA

for the WCD
--- End forwarded message ---

--- In PRIMATES_@yahoogroups.com, "Syed. S. Ahmed" <akif1999@y...>
wrote:
http://www.gastronomica.org/gastro/pages/sample3.2.html
--- End forwarded message ---

--- In PRIMATES_@yahoogroups.com, "Syed. S. Ahmed" <akif1999@y...>
wrote:
Scientists say that gorillas beat thier chests in order to release
tension.The beating of chests in gorillas is a gorilla's way of
releasing tension.Same the way like most of the human beings yawn or
stretch thier arms&legs when they become tired of long work.However
during my close observation of Western Low Land Gorillas at Monte
Alen Gorilla Reserve on the mainland of the country of Equatorial
Guinea in West Africa I found that male gorillas beat thier chests
much more as compared with female gorillas.It may be due to the fact
that males always have more tension than females.Because all the
responsibility of the female gorillas&baby gorillas in a gorilla
group lies on male gorillas.Another thing which I noted during my
careful observation of gorillas is that young male gorillas beat
thier chests more than the silver-backed male gorillas.I never saw
any baby gorilla beating its chest.I also learned a lot about the
tactics of male gorillas in order to attract female gorillas.May be
in the future when I will have more time I will try to write a
detailed book about all the behaviour of gorillas.Also I will ty to
explain in detail in my book about gorilla poaching&other threats to
gorillas like transmssion of diseases from humans to gorillas&
deforestation.This web-site is about Monte Alen Gorilla Reserve:

http://www.ecofac.org/Ecotourisme/_EN/MonteAlen/Presentation.htm

Regards,
Dr.Syed Shehzad Ahmed
MSc(Environmental Sc),MD
--- End forwarded message ---

May God bless all of you!

Each year, hundreds of thousands of baby harp seals are slaughtered
on the ice fields off Canada's east coast for their pelts. Over 95%
of the seals killed during this hunt are just days or weeks old.



If you were to witness this cruelty personally, your heart would
break. Newborn seals skinned or bled alive ... clubbed to death ...
or shot and left wounded to die under the ice.



Nearly one million baby seals will be clubbed or shot to death in
just three years. Shockingly, the hunt is subsidized by the Canadian
government!



Please help us show the Canadian government the rest of the world
will no longer stand for this inexcusable and senseless hunt.

http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/default.aspx?oid=21446

Canadian government says that The Canadian seal hunt is sustainable,
economically viable activity based on sound conservation principles.

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/infocus/2005/20050316_e.htm

But the facts are really very horrific:

The slaughter of seals is incredibly cruel (a post mortem survey has
shown that 42% of these babies are skinned alive)
It is a threat to the survival of the species
It is a threat to the survival of cod
It is a slaughter done mainly for unessential, vanity, and luxury
items, and therefore, is unnecessary
It is unethical to slaughter newborn seal pups (About 95% of the
seals to be slaughtered are babies less than four weeks old)

http://seashepherd.org/seals/seals.html

Therefore I request every member to write to Her Excellency the Right
Honourable Adrienne Clarkson ( Governor General of Canada )requesting
her to stop this cruel&unnecessary slaughter of harp seals:

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson
Governor General of Canada
Rideau Hall
1 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A1
(no postage necessary)

http://www.gg.ca/contactus/index_e.asp#write

You can learn more about the history, roles, responsibilities and
activities of the Governor General Her Excellency the Right
Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada:

http://www.gg.ca/menu_e.asp

You can also use this sample letter by Green Peace to send her:

http://usactions.greenpeace.org/action/start.php?action_id=39

I hope that all of you will co-operate to end this cruel slaughter.

Regards,
Dr.Syed Shehzad Ahmed
MSc(Environmental Sc),MD

--- In WildlifeConservationDepartment@yahoogroups.com, "WCD"
<wildlifeconservationdepartment@y...> wrote:

(Xinhuanet)
A group of six Indian tourists who had gone to have a good time at
Murchison Falls National Park,some 350 km northwest of Kampala, ended
up mourning as elephants attacked them, leaving one of their
colleague dead.

Local media reports that the incident took place near Nyamusika cliff
during an aborted game drive. A female elephant, which was hidden in
a thicket with its calf,ambushed a man and his son who were part of
the tourists. The tourists were trying to take a closer look at the
elephants and take photographs of the scenery that is also washed by
the Victoria Nile on its way to Lake Albert. The group split into two
and the one which did not have a ranger guide was the one attacked.
The local reports said the elephant used its trunk and lifted the
victim who was carrying his son. "It swung him around, hitting him on
the trunk of a thick tree," an eye witness who was at the scene was
quoted as saying.  The child, who survived was thrown a short
distance away from the scene but the elephant concentrated on the
man, stepping on him and using its tusks to pierce his stomach.  By
the time the rescue team arrived at the scene, the man was already
dead.

Park authorities blamed the incident on failure to stick to the
regulations that outlaw straying off the tourism area. Enditem
--- End forwarded message ---

--- In WildlifeConservationDepartment@yahoogroups.com, "WCD"
<wildlifeconservationdepartment@y...> wrote:


The Monmouth County, New Jersey Parks System will have two public
hearings on their
new plan to kill deer in the county parks:
Monday, May 2, 2005 at the Red Hill Activity Center, 251 Red Hill
Road
in Middletown, NJ. Plans and maps will be available for inspection
beginning at 6:30 pm. The formal meeting will begin at 7:00 pm.
Saturday, May 7, 2005 at the Manasquan Reservoir Environmental
Center,
331 Georgia Tavern Road in Howell, NJ. Plans and maps will be
available
for inspection beginning at 9:00 am. The formal meeting will begin at
9:30 am.

If you can't make it to the meetings, please submit comments by
telephone at 732-842-4000, ext. 4237, by electronic mail at
wildlife@m... [mailto:wildlife @
monmouthcountyparks.com] or by mail at Monmouth County Park System,
Attn: Public Information Officer, 805 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft,
NJ
07738. Written comments should be submitted on or before Monday, May
9.

You can read their reports on their website:
http://www.monmouthcountyparks.com/deer/deer_management_main.asp
The reports are very carefully worded, and filled with doom and gloom
predictions of what would happen if the parks became overrun by deer,
to
try to scare the public and the media into thinking that the deer are
destroying the parks. The truth is that the deer are not
overpopulated
(as the Parks System admitted last year) and a hunting club has been
working with the Parks System for years to set up this hunt.
Background
info on this hunt is available at
http://www.geocities.com/monmouthparks/MonmouthParks.html
Although the Board of Recreation Commissioners will probably vote for
this hunt no matter what we do, it's important to show the Board and
the
media that there is massive public opposition to these hunts. In
fact,
an Asbury Park Press poll showed that most people oppose this hunt!
--- End forwarded message ---

--- In WildlifeConservationDepartment@yahoogroups.com, "WCD"
<wildlifeconservationdepartment@y...> wrote:


by Leon Marshall

The great elephant herds of the Kruger National Park, under threat of
culling, are migrating in growing numbers across the border into
Mozambique's adjacent Limpopo Park.

Flying by helicopter over Limpopo Park, we could see
several herds and single bulls moving through the bush that had
formerly been denuded of game by Mozambique's protracted war and by
serving as a coutada, or hunting ground, under earlier Portuguese
colonial rule.

Also on the helicopter flight, sponsored by South Africa's Peace
Parks Foundation, was an excited Dr Markus Hofmeyr, head of Kruger's
veterinary wildlife services.

He believes that the elephants are signalling each other that it is
safe to return to their old stomping grounds in the Mozambican area
now that the war is over and it no longer serves as a hunting place
or as a "bush meat" abattoir for guerrilla fighters.

Most found openings in the high-security fence at river crossings
This is a remarkable change from four years ago, when most of the
first group of 25 elephants, which were symbolically handed over to
Mozambique by former president Nelson Mandela to start repopulating
their park, made a dash back to the safety of Kruger.

Most found openings in the high-security fence at river crossings,
but Hofmeyr says one bull trundled for many kilometres along the
fence until he was able to round it where it meets the Limpopo River
border in the far north.

Other game, notably giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest, impala and kudu,
have joined the elephants in crossing from Kruger through gaps in the
fence, mostly at river crossings.

From the helicopter, fair numbers were spotted moving about in the
unspoiled and beautiful Mozambican terrain of high-cliffed river
gorges, valleys and rolling hills.

Hofmeyr says they, too, have probably been taking their cue from game
translocated over the past two years by truck from Kruger into a 30
000 hectare enclosure in the Mozambican part to get them used to
living on that side of the security fence.

The translocation of 3 000 head of game should be completed this
year, and the enclosure will then be opened at the furthest point
away from Kruger for the animals to start making their own way into
their new country.

Professor Willem van Riet, chief executive of the Peace Parks
Foundation, says the voluntary migration to Limpopo Park shows that
translocations can work in the short term if done effectively. It is
the small translocated groups that are enticing the others across the
border.

Only a relatively small portion of the high-security border fence
separating the two parks has been removed since they were
ceremonially joined together two years ago, with, in name only,
Zimbabwe's Gonarezhou Park.

Together they are called the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park but the
actual link-up across the Limpopo River with Gonarezhou in troubled
Zimbabwe will take a while longer.

Security concerns, especially about illegal immigrants and the
smuggling of weapons and four-wheel-drive vehicles, have been
hindering the removal of more sections of the border fence between
the Kruger and Limpopo parks.

But control systems are now in place that will make it easier to
proceed with the removal of more sections of the fence, which was put
up in the mid-70s at the height of the regional conflict that also
involved apartheid South Africa.

The migration of elephants into Mozambique will relieve some of the
pressure on Kruger where their burgeoning numbers have been causing
serious harm to the habitat. But it is unlikely to stave off culling.

The elephant population has simply gone too far out of control since
a moratorium was placed on it in 1995. Kruger has about 13 000
elephants, and its maximum carrying capacity is set at about 7 000.
Limpopo Park can at most take 3 000.

At a million hectares it is half the size of Kruger and an even
bigger percentage of it is not suitable elephant habitat. So soon it,
too, will be under pressure if Kruger's elephants keep migrating.

A final decision on culling, already building into a major bone of
contention among animal-rights groups internationally, should be
taken some time this year by Marthinus van Schalkwyk, the
environmental affairs and tourism minister.

Meanwhile, the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park's elephant migration
should serve as encouragement for southern Africa's transfrontier-
park programme, in which the Peace Parks Foundation is playing a
major facilitating role.

According to the African Elephant Status report of the World
Conservation Union, the estimated population for southern Africa -
South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi,
Mozambique and Swaziland - now stands at 300 000.

Botswana has by far the worst problem, with an estimated 120 000
elephants in its Chobe Reserve and Okavango Delta.
--- End forwarded message ---

dear ALL... HALLO
it's my frist time to wrote to ... and it is howner to do :)
i want a help data amd criateria of what ever help me in my graduation
project for designing a ZOO in EGYPT ..
my name is Atef an architceture Student in the faculty of FINE ARTS
CAIRO ARCHITECTURE DPARtMENT amd i have that graduation project me and
my friend to desgin a ZOO and it is hard to find refrances ..so can
any one here help me to find data of website or can send me what ever
help or even a advice please ........ i will be gradful :)
thanks alot ..hope to have ur reply soon :)
urs:ATEF

Most of you who live comfortably in your houses dont even have the
slightest idea about the hardships faced by me&my colleagues in order
to save the God's creatures from extinction.When I was working to save
the American crocodiles in Dominican Republic I was bitten twice by a
crocodile on my right forearm.Also when I was working to save the
gorillas at Monte Alen gorilla reserve in Equatorial Guinea I&my
colleagues had to sleep on the forest floor without even a mattress
with mosquitoes encircling over us whole night.We cant even light a
camp fire to drive away the mosquitoes as this could had given signal
to poachers who come to poach in the night.Also we had to spy upon
poachers by hiding overselves over the trees&sometimes we had to
remain on the tree tops for long times.Also when I was discussing with
the tribal leaders in North East Congo to take action against elephant
&rhino poachers at Garamba National Park I came under gun fire many
times due to civil war in Congo.Also in these remote areas we ran out
of our food rations many times&we were forced to eat wild fruits &
plants.Back at home in U.S I had many problems in order to give
petitions in embassies of many countries for endangered animals.
Sometimes I had to wait for hours in order to give the petition in the
hands of the right person.I did all that only&only to save animals.

--- In PRIMATES_@yahoogroups.com, "Syed. S. Ahmed" <akif1999@y...>
wrote:

This is the map of Monte Alen National Park in Equatorial Guinea
where I had worked to save Western Low Land gorillas on the main land
of Equatorial Guinea.This map is in Spanish because the official
language of Equatorial Guinea is Spanish.I selected this country to
study&save gorillas because Spanish is my mother language.There I
passed one of the toughest days of my life with my food rations
running out &passing the whole day on tree tops.Also I learned a lot
about spying upon poachers.We tracked the poachers ware house&we
seized several endangered species.May God will reward me for my work.

http://www.internetafrica.com/curef/es/alen.htm
--- End forwarded message ---

Thanks for info.I have seen that movie but its been a long time.
I was thinking more abour raw or stock footage.I have always loved the
old black and white stuff.My number one love is the African Wild Dogs
but I am somewhat interested in all forms of dog family.I sometimes
thumb through Ebay and look at African Postcards.Can anyone send
footage in Windows Media or Quicktime.The libraries here use those .
Also I love video I can watch on TV.I live in USA and use VHS tapes.
Charles

Charles and others,

you said you were interested in old African film and photos.

Have you seen the old John Wayne movie filmed in Africa?

Hatari
1962 - Paramount

Main Cast: John Wayne, Elsa Martinelli, Hardy Kruger, Red Buttons.
Direced by Howard Hawks.
The story of big-game trapping in Africa for the famous zoos of the
world. Elsa Martinelli is Wayne's love interest, playing a
photographer. The actors did their own stunts, some of which were
very dangerous.


Also,

I inherited a very large picture/encylopedia of mammals type of book
from my grandfather that was written in the late 1800's. It has
drawings actually of each of the African animals and then
descriptions.

It is in storage so I will let you know when I dig it out.

One entry I found QUITE amusing is that cheetahs were described as
SLOW creatures......yes, as not very fast or Slow! I think I
mentioned that on here before so you might be able to find the name
of the old book in the archives here.