The Primates of East Africa

Primates are a category of mammals that include				occasionally insects and flowers.The vervet
humans, apes, lemurs and monkeys. Covering				monkey is light coloured with a black face; males
over 185 species, they range from lemurs -with				have a pale blue scrotum. This monkey weighs
hardly any resemblance to humans- to				between 5 and 9kg. The vervet is adapted to
chimpanzees, which are clearly our own kin. In				practically all woodland habitats, outside equatorial
size, they range from the tiny 60 g bush baby to				rain forests. It does not venture very far from
the huge 200 kg gorilla. Primates are characterized				the safety of trees, on which it also depends for
by a complex brain, good binocular vision and				food. You will commonly find it on forest edges
means of grasping. In addition, they experience				and is typically associated with riverine vegetation
long periods in the womb, followed by slow				and acacia trees. These monkeys are very
maturation and elongated lifespan.Africa has the				friendly to people and almost serve as de facto
privilege of hosting 51 primate species in habitats				receptionists in most national parks.When a vertet
varying from forests to savannah woodlands. And				hops onto your car as you arrive at park gate, it
new primate species are still being discovered.				is looking after its own interests. Humans like to
One of the latest additions is the highland				feed monkeys and it hopes to save the lots of
mangabey monkey, whose domicile is the				energy and the risk involved in natural foraging in
Udzungwa Mountains of southern				the bush. However, it is illegal to feed monkeys or
Tanzania.Scientists were delighted, but				any wildlife in all parks in East Africa. Also be
nevertheless puzzled when they reported the				warned- these monkeys can bite if scared. Their
finding in May 2005; "This exciting discovery				teeth and claws can inflict serious injuries and you
demonstrates once again how little we know				should therefore avoid close bodily contact.Vervet
about our closest living relatives, the nonhuman				monkeys are omnivorous and consume a wide
primates. A large, striking monkey in a country of				range of plant materials like fruits, seeds, sap, and
considerable wildlife research over the last century				flowers. They also feed on invertebrates and
has been hidden right under our noses," said				have sometimes balance the vegetarian fare with
Russell Mittermeier of the IUCN-The World				vertebrates such as lizards and nestling birds and
Conservation Union's Species Survival				their eggs. They are often found in the same
Commission.Sensing our fascination with nonhuman				areas as baboons with which they share many
primates, artists have in response created fictional				foods, water holes and sleeping trees. The baboon
characters that have turned out to be immensely				is however not good company for vervets; it is
popular. The most successful of this genre is the				without mercy for its smaller relative. When they
story of "Tarzan of the Apes". This romance				compete for food, vervets are supplanted and
features an orphaned English lord who was				baboons will occasionally feed on young
adopted by a female ape and brought up in the				vervets.Vervet monkeys are territorial and live in
African jungle. The writer Edgar Rice Burroughs				troops of between 8-50 members. Their troops
brought Tarzan-one of the best-known literary				are organized in a hierarchy of families whose
characters, to life in 1921.Tarzan, an ape-man				members sleep, forage and rest together. Males
character has over the years generated over 40				move out as they reach maturity at about the
movies, and numerous radio shows, television				age of 5 years, while females remain in a
programmes and comic books. Primate characters				female-bonded society. They pass on hereditary
reflect mans complex nature more closely than				privileges: a mother's rank predetermines that of
other animal characters in fiction and mythology.				the daughter.The baboon is the other very
Come to think of it: in this respect, the naughty				common primate in the savannahs of East Africa.
tree-swinging monkey is more deserving of our				It is a large, terrestrial monkey with a dog like
respect than haughty king lion.Non-human primates				head. Indeed its scientific name is, papio
are confined to the tropics, where 80% of them				cynocephalus -here cynocephalus means
live in rain forests as the dominant mammals. East				"dog-headed." They weigh up to 50 kg, with males
Africa has few patches of tropical forests where				reaching up to twice the weight of females. Their
you find the great apes, but the entire region				limbs are sturdy, nearly equal in length while hands
supports many other primate species. Only a few				and feet are short and wide with stubby digits.
species are not dependent on trees and can				The females have very prominent sexual
survive in savannah and sub desert areas. These				swellings.Baboons in East Africa appear in two
include baboons, vervet monkeys and				common species - olive and yellow baboons. Next
chimpanzees. Not surprisingly, travellers to east				to humans, baboons are the best adapted of the
Africa are most likely to come across these three				terrestrial primates. For this reason, they are the
species.But most primates still depend on trees or				most widespread African primate- to be found
cliffs for security. Only the two most intriguing				from savannah to arid habitats, so long as there is
primate species sleep on the ground-man and				water and trees or just cliffs. Most travellers will
gorilla. We shall not discuss these two species in				see baboons on the highways, in many places
this article and shall cover them in separate				across the region. They live well enough outside
features. For now, we shall only able to look at				protected areas, such as national parks. They are
the four most common primates found in East				serious crop pests and are even classified as
Africa; bush babies, monkeys, baboons and				vermin -not wildlife- but in parts of Kenya.A
chimpanzees.Primates have complex social				baboons' menu include grasses, flowers, fruits,
organizations and the majority live in				seeds and shoots. In the dry season, they uproot
female-bonded groups. Scientists speculate that				grasses and feed on the underground stems, a
this works as an alliance against aggressive males.				niche they share with no other mammal except
Females stay on in their natal group even after				warthogs. Beware that baboons are fierce
maturity, while males exit the group. Feminist				fighters and with group work can confront and
fundamentalists may perhaps take a hint in this				scare off a sharp predator such as leopard.
arrangement? Chimpanzees make an exception to				Because of their well-developed taste for fruits
this rule. Very much like humans, female chimps				and other foods humans are partial to, baboons
seek an alliance with a male protector, which is				tend to stalk visitors in national parks. In some
recognised and respected by other males.A				cases they supplement their diet with vertebrate
common feature among primates is evolution of				prey: fish, lizards and young of ground nesting
the "primate hand."This is a prehensile hand that is				birds, and bird or crocodile eggs.Baboons live in
used for climbing and eating, and tool making in				troops ranging from 8 to over 200 animals, but
the case of apes. Some primates- especially				typically average about 40. Troops tend to avoid
baboons and apes, have such well-developed				one another but may occasionally share
dexterity of the hand that the tips of the thumb				resources. Their social organization is highly
and forefinger meet at right angles. In apes, the				complex and variable; they are able to display
dexterity of the hands is very close that of				emotion and can communicate motivation.
humans -and chimps are a good				Females remain in the troop, with a reproductive
example.Primates, just like humans, use social				strategy grounded on male supremacy.The
grooming as a form of contact communication.				colobus monkey is another common primate that
Travellers will witness this practice among				is the subject of many parables in Africa. The
baboons and vervet monkeys. Grooming is useful				black and white colobus are especially priced for
for social bonding and is effected by use of the				their beautiful coat, which has traditionally been
mouth and hands. At a more practical level, it is				used as ceremonial attire. The colobus is found
also used to clean the body of parasites, such as				only in Africa and has a long tail and hairs. The
ticks. Grooming underlines hierarchies; a junior				body weight reaches up to 23 kg. Both the black
member of a group will happily groom its				and white species are well adapted and have
betters.Reproduction in primates is quite varied,				inherited many kinds of forest woodlands
but there is much in common with humans.				throughout East Africa. They live up at the trees
Monkeys and apes, for example, actually do				and rarely descend to the ground. This rather shy
menstruate. A key difference however, is that				animal is not easily sighted in the open and you
many primates have distinct breeding seasons.				are more likely to see or hear them in thick
The young are dependent on the mother, but less				woodlands and forested parks.The apes are a
so than human infants. They enjoy the protection				category of primates represented in Africa by
of a fur coat and are able to climb and reach the				gorilla, chimpanzees and bonobo. Genetically, they
mothers' teats and cling to her while being				are the closest primates to man. The apes have
transported. Males generally play a marginal role in				very advanced social and communication systems.
parental care.Bush babies are a big group of				They come close to humans in the use of facial
primates, comprising about 18 species found				expressions and body language; using both arms
Africa, and of which 11 species live in East Africa.				and hands. Apart from mother-infant contact,
This is one of the smallest but most successful of				apes groom each other in the usual primate
the primates. There are two main types: the				fashion- rank determines who grooms
lesser bush baby and the greater bush baby. Both				whom.Apes are particularly adept at tactile
are widely distributed and found in the forested				communications; that is use of touch. They seek
national parks of East Africa. During the day, they				and give reassurance by touching each other -
hide to avoid harm from eagles and large				just like we do -on the most sensitive areas like
snakes.In lodges located close to dense forest,				hands, face and genitals. Apes are slow to
such as Shimba Hills in Kenya, bush babies are at				mature, with the young reaching adolescence at
night attracted to the dining rooms by sugar and				about the age of 8 years. Females bring
sugary products. They otherwise feed mainly on				forth their first fruits in their early teens, much
tree gum and insects. Their technique of catching				earlier than males who rarely start procreating
insects is either by leaping and grabbing or by				before reaching 15 years. All apes build nests- in
creeping to within grabbing distance. They have				this case, a platform on which to sleep securely
distinct vocal sounds and the name bush baby				at night: chimps up the trees and gorillas on the
originated from the piercing baby-like cries or				ground.Generally all the apes are endangered and
advertising calls of the greater bush baby. Adult				vulnerable. The problem is that they occur
males advertise the most, especially in the mating				naturally in very small densities and face
season.Bush babies are easy to like-perhaps on				immediate threat of habitat loss throughout their
account of their baby-like cries and small innocent				ranges. The situation is further compounded by
looking faces. They are active only after sundown.				the fact that they perpetuate themselves at a
Extremely agile and sprightly, they use their				rather slow pace. The other risk is the bush meat
elongated hind limbs to execute spectacular leaps				trade that goes on in some parts of Africa, which
between trees. Distended finger and toe pads				takes them out in large numbers every year. The
enable them to cling unerringly, leap after leap, to				situation deteriorated after the 1980's, when
even the most slippery branches.The other small				many previously inaccessible tracts of rainforest
primates like bush babies are pottos. Being small				were opened up for logging.Although apes are not
and nocturnal, you will hardly ever see them. Only				known to eat humans, there are reports of their
one species is found in East Africa -in south and				killing human babies in western Uganda - especially
west Uganda, far northwest Tanzania and				in Bwindi and Kibale forests. This phenomenon is
western Kenya in the Mount Elgon and Kakamega				as yet unexplained and is very puzzling to primate
forests. Pottos wear a woolly brown jacket and				researchersChimpanzees are large, hairy and
have large protuberant eyes, small rounded naked				tailless; females weigh between 30-40 kg, while
ears, short muzzles and short stubby tails. They				males can reach 180 kg. They have big heads,
weigh between 0.8 - 1.6kg.Monkeys are a				flattened face with a small nose and forward
category of dog-shaped primates. They stand and				facing eyes. They have same number and type
move horizontally on four legs, with head directed				of teeth as man. The chimp is indeed our closet
forwards and downwards. Consequently, the form				living relative, sharing 98% of our genes and much
and movement is also doglike, particularly for the				of our behaviour. The chimp and mountain gorilla
more terrestrial ones like baboons. Their bottoms				are the only great apes found naturally is East
are padded with bare "scars" that may appear like				Africa. Seeing chimps in the wild is an exhilarating
wounds. These are called callosities, and their				experience. And Uganda is the best country in the
colouration varies with the reproductive season.				world to view chimps in their natural habitat.In
The phenomenon is most prominent among				Uganda, you encounter chimps at Queen Elizabeth
baboons and is quite puzzling to many				National Park and Kibale and Budingo forest. In
travellers.There is a clear distinction in form and				Tanzania, you see them at Gombe National Park,
structure of the genders in monkeys. This is				to the north west of the country. Kenya has no
especially so among baboons, in which females				naturally occurring chimps population, but at
are clearly smaller in body size - by as much as				Nanyuki in the central region, there is a sanctuary
50% compared males. The posture and				for chimps rescued from the illegal trade going on
movement of monkeys is often a reflection of				in parts of central and West Africa.Chimps are
their social status. The confident monkey appears				mainly found in rainforest and wet savannah.
relaxed and walks with its limbs extended and				They are less robustly built than gorillas; their
back level. It surveys its realm casually and is at				arms are shorter, reaching just below the knees
ease while resting. On the other hand,				and the hands and fingers are long with short
subordinates walk with back hunched, limbs rather				thumbs. The feet are adapted for grasping, with
bent and tail low or curved downwards.Dominant				long, stout opposable big toe. Chimpanzees feed
males are known to exaggerate their status by				mainly on fruits mostly gathered from trees and
walking with a swagger and squatting with obvious				the young leaves of plants. They also feed on
ostentation. This behaviour is the subject of many				flowers, pith, and bark and also derive additional
metaphors in African folklore. Monkeys are				nutrients from insects and some meat too- young
generally social, though they exhibit occasional				antelopes, goats, and other primates such as
rivalry. When attempting to intimidate a rival, a				young baboons and colobus monkeys.Chimps are
monkey stands at its tallest, with the effect that				articulate tool users- a clear sign of a hard
it looks bigger than it realy is-, which of course is				working brain. They can pick up small objects
precisely the point. "Filling yourself like a male				between thumbs and side of the index finger.
monkey" is a common teenage statement in				They possess the acumen to prepare and use
Africa, and originates from this practice.Many				grass stems and sticks to fish for insects. A
travellers will have noticed that adult male				female on heat may mate with several males. It
monkeys like exposing their genitals to impress or				gives birth to a single off spring, which is
maybe intimidate other males. Baboons are				independent after about 4 years.The chimps are
especially notorious for this rather unwholesome				individualistic and do not live in cohesive groups like
exhibitionist behaviour. Do not be offended when				gorillas or monkeys. They live in communities, with
you find a dominant male, sitting apart on high				up to 100 animals sharing a common home range.
vantage point, facing away from the troop as he				But they never assemble in a single troop. Jane
scans the surrounding with legs spread apart to				Goodall, in her book "The Chimpanzees of
expose the penis. This is a particularly noticeable				Gombe", has shown that chimps, in common with
thing about baboons, or perhaps it is what				humans, engage in some very disagreeable
humans cannot avoid noticing- being so well				behaviour. Males occasionally rape females and
trained to look down				engage in internecine warfare. Dr. Goodall has
upon such immodest displays. Among the				reported that from early 1974, a brutal four-year
monkeys species found in East Africa are the blue				war raged in Gombe between two chimp groups
or syke monkey, the vervet monkey and the				that resulted in the decimation of one group.The
colobus monkey.Sykes are dark, stoutly built and				best way to see the primates of East Africa is
have round facial disk and no beard. They weigh				by taking a combined Kenya and Uganda safari.
up to 12kg, with males larger and heavier than				On such as safari, you will of course see the
females. The body is covered by thick long fur				other wildlife East Africa is famed for, but be sure
with a brown patch of bristling hair. Sykes are				that the locations where primates are found are
quite widespread in East Africa and can generally				covered. On safari, wear light cottons and linen.
be sighted in all forested national parks. But as				But also pack some warmer clothing, as the
they as not aware of park boundaries, you will				evenings and early mornings can be quite chilly.
also see them in thick forests and forest				Some rainwear is advisable between March and
reserves outside the parks. They are however				June and October and December. You should bring
slowly being confined to national parks due				along a decent pair of sunglasses and a pair of
continuing degradation of protected forests.				binoculars.
Sykes mostly feed on fruits and leaves and

Innsof Uganda

The Primates of East Africa