Positively Primates
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Positively Primates Volume 10 The Newsletter of the DuMond Conservancy for Primates and Tropical Forests 2004 A simian that smiles By DR. SIÂN EVANS, DuMOND CONSERVANCY he best garden I have ever had lay a little south of on. Students from Florida International University’s T the equator in Africa. It was ringed by hundreds of Biology Department have had the opportunity to study spiky pineapple plants and overlooked a patch of this group. Mandrills are extremely facially expressive tropical rainforest. The branches of the trees in the forest and Evgenia Gonzalez was able to photograph and docu- would occasionally quiver, announcing the presence of ment high levels of the mandrill smile that resembles the inhabitants of this lush patch. For most of the day a human smile but also reveals the dagger-like canines these inhabitants were hidden by of a male mandrill. While the smile of a the dense canopy, but at dusk, their male mandrill can look pretty intimidat- identity was revealed and magnifi- ing, it is frequently used to communicate cent mandrills climbed into their submission and is accompanied by a sleeping trees. Because mandrills characteristic shaking of the head from are terrestrial and spend their days side to side. Classmates of Evgenia, Leidy navigating either the relatively open Perez and Jessica Hayward, investigated ground of primary rainforest or the aimed throwing by Cecil. Cecil had been tangled undergrowth of secondary observed to throw a rock through a hang- rainforest, I did not see my neigh- ing tire and Jessica and Leidy were able bors until they sought the safety of to train Cecil to perform this behavior on a forked branch in the canopy to command. The younger juvenile mandrills rest for the night. were intrigued by the training sessions and quickly picked up on the required Mandrills are found in Equatorial task but they were not quite as accurate West Africa from Southern Cam- with their aims as Cecil was! eroon to the Congo. The scien- tific name for mandrills is Papio It is delightful to be able to stroll over sphinx and they are closely related from my office at any time of the day to the baboons that inhabit the Cecil Robertson Troy Photo: and enjoy the entertaining antics of our open savannas of sub Saharan mandrill group. I no longer have to wait Africa. They are remarkable because of their brilliant, for dusk to appreciate their beauty and I also enjoy the sometimes iridescent, red and blue faces and rumps. opportunity to observe them at very close quarters and Mandrills show great sexual dimorphism and males and become acquainted with their different personalities. females can be easily distinguished by their differences in color and size. Males are much larger than females For further reading: Lahm, Sally A. 1977 “Devils of and have longer canines and the female’s pigmenta- the Forest.” Wildlife Conservation Magazine M/A: 30- tion on her face and rump is dull in comparison to the 35. male’s. VALERIE KESSLER Despite their memorable appearance, mandrills have been We were all saddened by the death of very difficult to study in nature because they are very elu- our friend Valerie Kessler and miss her visits to Monkey sive. Recently, there have been surprising observations in Jungle. However, thanks to Gabon in the dry season that recorded enormous groups a trust fund established by of mandrills, as many as 800 monkeys, traveling across Valerie, she continues to help savanna. At other times of the year mandrills are believed us improve our care and to live in much smaller groups. extend our knowledge of the primates she cared so deeply Mandrills are classified as endangered under the United about. Her husband recalls States Endangered Species Act and several U.S. zoos how Valerie was particularly exhibit successful breeding groups. A terrific group of entertained by one orangutan, seven mandrills, led by the breeding male, Cecil, has Lucy, who would gaze adoringly recently arrived at Monkey Jungle. Home for this group at her during her visits. Eventually of mandrills is a tall, spacious enclosure furnished with Valerie realized that Lucy was eye- ing rocks, poles, and boulders that provide the mandrills her hat and when Valerie gave her the hat, with a complex environment to climb, forage, and play the loving gazes ceased! Siamangs Sing and Panbanisha Plays the Piano By Mike Machr, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Megan L. Hoffman, Florida International University, Miami re the choruses of bos (Pan paniscus), Kanzi and Panbanisha, enjoy play- Achimpanzee pant- ing a variety of instruments including the drums, the hoots, the long calls harmonica, the xylophone, and the piano. Recently, we of male orangutans, and spoke with Jared Taglialatela, Research Associate at the the long calls of gibbons LRC, who described Panbanisha’s latest musical collab- precursors to modern-day oration with musician Peter Gabriel. Peter collaborated music? Thomas Geissmann on the first ever inter-species duet with Panbanisha. of the University of Zurich- Jared described this memorable event, “Dr. Savage Irchel provides compelling Rumbaugh was inside the cage with Panbanisha and Photo: Alan Mootnick Photo: Gibbon Conservation Center evidence that singing in asked her (in spoken English) to play a song. Panban- A siamang’s air sac non-human primates evolved isha then said ‘groom’ on her lixigram keyboard, and inflates when he sings independently several times Sue asked her to play a ‘grooming song.’ Peter had been throughout primate evolution from these loud calls playing some background music during this, and once used in territorial contexts. Arguably the most melodi- Panbanisha started striking keys, he responded on his ous and complex primate singing is the duetting of gib- piano.” The duet was called “The Grooming Song.” bons and siamangs. Gibbons and siamangs have been found to make the majority of their duets in response Further read- Welcome Home Marine Corps Lance to the calls of the neighboring gibbon groups, and some ing: The Corporal Evan Evans returned home research suggests that these pair duets help maintain Origins of safely from Iraq where he served with the monogamous pair bonds by driving off neighboring Music. Eds. the 1st Combat Engineer Battalion members of the opposite sex. Typically these infectious Wallin N, in Fallujah. Evan was a long-time Con- songs fill the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia in the Merker B, servancy volunteer and assisted with early morning hours and may last until noon. Brown S, MIT security at Monkey Jungle before joining Not only do some apes naturally produce music by Press, Cam- the Marine Corps in 2003. duetting with conspecifics, other apes have learned to bridge, Mass., make music using human-made instruments! At the 2001, ISBN Language Research Center (LRC) in Georgia, the bono- 0-262-73143-6, GLOSSARY Tropical Rainforests are wooded areas in warm, wet climates with an abundance of diverse plant and animal life. Primary forests are undisturbed, with tall trees forming a canopy and little sunlight falls on the forest floor. However, secondary rainforest has been disturbed whether naturally (tree falls or fires) or unnaturally (clearing by humans) and is characterized by more sunlight, vines, and shorter trees. Volunteer Spotlight Very special volunteers By Vjoica Capri, New College, New educational programs that that allows students to go out into From working side by side with help mentally challenged individu- the community and practice their zoo keeper Tim Johnson, Darrel has als function in society are a fresh skills. Students help in all sorts of gained a new sense of self-worth. perspective in education. One such activities ranging from preparing Tim has benefitted from the help of program has bolstered the self- primate meals and maintaining an assistant who follows directions confidence of mentally challenged cages to caring for and learning and understands the importance of students at Southridge High School about the different species living in quality work. in Miami. This program uses a new Monkey Jungle. The students very Monkey Jungle provides a rou- approach in preparing these stu- much look forward to their weekly tine and familiar environment that dents to enter the job world. This trip to Monkey Jungle and they are is perfect for this level of learning program is a community-based more optimistic about entering the and helps prepare the students for instruction that is rooted not in job world. the work environment when they typical high school-related subjects, One particular student, Darrel graduate from high school. but instead in learning functional Davis, is a senior at Southridge and living skills. has improved substantially in both Thanks to all the students and Monkey Jungle offers a supple- his work production and his per- teachers, Mr. Norris Joyner and Ms. mentary program once a week ception of what he can accomplish. Celeste Cobbs. 2 Positively Primates ByThe Dr. Bennett right L. Scjhwartz,touch! Florida International University, Miami fter a horrible auto accident at the young age of 18, until it can do more complex tasks. Capuchins can be AKim Torbitt became a quadriplegic, a condition in trained to select any food container from a refrigerator, which all movement of the arms and legs are lost. place it in the microwave for heating, and then re-posi- He was completely unable to do the everyday things tion the containers for feeding. Helping Hands only uses that the rest of us take for granted, such as brushing his positive reinforcement; the capuchin is never physically teeth, scratching an itch, or putting a videotape in the punished or deprived of food. Tasks are based on the VCR. Then, along came Mymu, a tufted capuchin (Cebus kinds of activities that capuchin monkeys enjoy in play, apella), trained by Helping Hands, a non-profit organiza- such as manipulating objects, grooming, and inserting tion based in Boston, Massachusetts.