Again one hour left, so just quickly continuing the last one...
Actually as for the changes it`s not that bad, as I first thought. I almost got into the routine already, actually less things to remember ( in terms of what to give to whom, and how much, otherwise everything is written down, so it`s enough if you know where to look it up), but maybe more work, because of Arvid (the paralized chimp) and because we are only two. On the other hand there is a full time vet nurse, a Cameroonian guy, Elvis, he has arrived a month ago, but he is a big help, even if most of the times I don`t understand his English... Actually he has the same responsabilities as us, exept, that he is payed for his job:)
So for the former volunteers:
there is noone working in fruit room, so it`s a volunteer responsability. at the big cages assou, julien and emma is still there (although julien is leaving as always:). tati`s group has now a big enclosure next to ballas, and they are with coffee. and then kiki`s group has a big extension too, but you`ve probably seen that. the nursery is one big cage, and two enclosures, so the 24 chimps there are divided into two groups: tic`s group and charlo`s group (these chimps I didn`t know before). there is a new worker working with them, bertrand, he is here only 3 weeks, but seems he enjoys it a lot.
The chimps:
The big cages: Njabeya (the one that was born here) is already 4, she is doing amazingly good, she has learnt her way with all the adult chimps, although, it must be boring for her not to have anyone in her age, and I would even say she is too mature for her age. Bouboule is the dominant male now, I haven`t seen him too much "doing his job", he seemed quite calm to me actually. I think Gabby has changed the most, he has a completely dark face now, but still resembles himself.
In Ballas` group I wouldn`t recognize Aaron anymore, he is big now, as a normal adult, and actually yesterday we saw him challaging Ballas, and believe me or not, Ballas was heavily crying afterwards... Jessica supported Ballas, the rest stayed away, but probabely it will happen more and more. Otherwise he is the same with me as he was, wants to kiss my lips all the time, and is very gentle. In Kiki`s group the babies have grown too, especially Massamba and Jack, but they are still babies to me. Kiki is not willing to go out anymore, but apparently it`s because they are wild chimps all around, and the workers saw a big male around Kiki`s cage a few times, so maybe he is afraid. But every night we are waken up by wild chimps screems, and ours reply to them, so it`s quite busy at nights:)
In the nursary, wow, Tic and Mintak, I would never recognize them, they are just big males already. Zac and Muna are with them in a group, they didn`t grow that much, or maybe I don`t see the difference, because comparing to Tic and Mintak they are still small. And it`s starnge to see, that Zac, who was so self confident with Muna and Yoko, is now one of the weakest, and a few days ago I saw him desperately crying because Jantan stole his sleeping place. I just couldn`t believe. Grem is more or less the same, he doesn`t care too much, Baati is just as we thought, he would be, and Sambe is still nice and gentle.
Every day there is a volunteer, who needs to stay with Arvid and an other one who needs to stay with the babies at Sheri`s house at lunch time, so actually you get to be with the babies very often. And it is just so great, I really think sometimes, that chimp babies are much more fun than human babies, obviously, they are more independent and they locomotor abilities develop much faster. So act6ually the even not one yrs old Margot already climbs the trees very hight, and plays with the other babies, although it`s funny, that when it comes to walking she is much less skilled. But they are constantly in payfull mode, and it`s so funny how they do that, maybe because they have a 10 x higher pain thereshold, so they play more roughly, but than it also allows them to do more bravourous things.
Arvid gives me hard time for now, he bit me already a few times (one huge tatto on my forearm) apparantly he is not nice to new ppl. He is shaking his head when he needs to go to the bathroom, or when he is annoyed, and he is just doing it constantly when I`m with him. He only stops for a few minutes when I start to tickle him, or give him food, or try to play with him, but then he starts again, and it is just so heartbreaking, because you can really see on his feace how frustrated and desperate he is, and I just don`t know what to do. I have to learn him better, we have to get used to each other. A few times I`ve already made him lough out, but it doesn`t help. Henriett is with him normally, and there are 2 new woman caregivers for him and the babies, and it`s so amazing to see them how they are with them. Of caurse it`s a really hard job, common, already beeing with a paralized person, not everyone can do that, and then a chimp... is even harder, it doesn`t speak, it bites really hard, and it gets bored after a few minutes... But they are great with him, he is so happy to see them, and they really now him, how to make him laugh, when to ease him so on and so on. And to think that these ppl really don`t grow up with the same attitude towards animals as us. And than the greatest thing is that they call chimps people when they talk about them:) how graet is that. And how great that you can change someone`s attitude just by having him observing the chimps.
I have to go again, so to be continued...
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
frist one
I`ll try to make it quick, because I`ve got only 40 min left, and the net and to comp is very slow, they were slow the last time I was here, and since then noone changed them.
The trip: well, not whithout complications...
First of all, they cancelled my flight 2 days before leaving, but that was actually ok (besides that I had to rebook the other ticket) because my final exam/defence was postponed one day (got 5, lasted 15 min, actually 30 but for 15 mins we were trying to launch the projector). So far so good, rushing to Bp, got the plane next day to London, and then it started... 4 hrs delay at Heathrow, apparently pilot stike at Royal Air Maroc, missed my connection in Casablanca, stuck at the airport (thousands of ppl in the same situation, no rooms in airport hotels, night on benches, at least I saw Casablanca). After 3 hrs sleeping I got up at 7, still 14 hrs untill our flight to Yaounde, what to do, let`s see Morocco. Well that was funny, first time in my life, I was afaraid on the street. There is a train from the airport to the city, I didn`t have a map, didn`t know if there is anything to see there, just went there so that I won`t be stuck at the airport. Got of the train, started to walk around, and well, I`m used to man saying hi on the streets, `cause that`s the same in all African counrtries, but here actually I was the only women on the streets... it was scary. and ask my brother what does it mean, that I say it was sacry on the street. but well, I thought that there has to be a mosque here, or medina, or sg, so I asked two guys, who looked as if they were tourists (they weren`t), what can I see there, but they said I should take a taxi. First I didn`t want, and started to walk in the direction they said I will find the medina, but after 5 mins I realized a car is following me all the time. So I almost run back to the train station to get a cab, and actually here the cab drivers are also tourist guides, so for 10 Eur he showed me the mosque, some nice buildings and the medina. Quite a nice city, well, would be nicer if I could have walked in the streets, I don`t enjoy sightseeing too much...
Then evening flight to Yaounde, slept on the airport till the project assistant came and picked me up. But already could smeel tha air, see the trees and to red soil, just love that. And then I thaught to myslef that the jungle here is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Slept in Sheri`s house during the day, than at 6 got on the train to Belabo. 2nd class, some woman and man and mostly children everywhere. There is a stop abt every hour when dozens of woman and children rush up to the train and sell bananas and plantane and batons (strange cameroonian food fold in leaves). Quite cheap, so everyone buys something and they have a picknik in the train. Bit messy, but not much worse that hungarian trains:)
Go to the project about 4 in the morning, this time choose a cemented cabin (Dobrochna, there are two beds, so I thought we could share it when you come), met Ann the current volunteer and went directly to sleep.
Next day I met Sheri, who was leaving in the evening, I was already surpised, that she leaves us without supervision. Poor Ann was running the whole day, I was running after here, to see what has changed, and what has to be learnt again (a lot!!!!). But still at the and of the day felt, like I almost never left. There was no time for quarantine, so the first night I was sleeping already with Margot, an about 10 month old baby, who sleeps with us the night. First she was very scared of me, but when I went to see her the second day, she already vocalized happily:) Then last night I have spent at the camp, where we have a paralised chimp, who gets exercises 4 x during the day, and at night we have to turn him 4 times, so that he doesn`t get any wounds.
So as for the next 2 months, when I`ll be the only volunteer here (Ann leaves in 2 weeks, and no one comes untill september) I won`t have much sleep, cause probabley i`ll be the one turning Arvid at nights, and then when Agnes comes back, she will sleep with the baby Margot (she needs milk bottles at least 2 times at night).
As for the rest of the chimps, i should be in quarantine, but again not enough hands to work, so I`m already in the schedule. I don`t think they recognize me, although Ballas was really staring at me and Aaron desperately wanted to touch me, which he apparently does not do with everyone. Then Caro, she is the same, she wants to garb everyone, so I don`t think she was especially interested in my person, it was rather the novelty. The babies (the ones I spent the most time during my last stay) are so big now, I couldn`t believe, they are already almost young adults... No sign of any memory trace... They are tipical adolescents, think only about themselves:) Now they are in a group of 24, and they really can do everything.
And big change, in the night, you are really alone at the camp, because the baby chimps (Margot and 3 other ones) live next to Sheri`s house, which is about 500 ms down the camp, the enclosures are also bit far, and since now we are only two, Ann and me, and we have to divide between Margot and Arvid, someone has to go to Sheri`s place, and the other person stays in camp with Arvid. And that is amazing, you can just walk around, and there is noone, just you and the jungle (there are though night guards at the enclosures). It`s perfectly safe, the dogs start barking whenever someone comes, so the night guards can come and check what`s going on. But otherwise just you and the jungle. Beautiful...
I`ll continue but I have to go now...
The trip: well, not whithout complications...
First of all, they cancelled my flight 2 days before leaving, but that was actually ok (besides that I had to rebook the other ticket) because my final exam/defence was postponed one day (got 5, lasted 15 min, actually 30 but for 15 mins we were trying to launch the projector). So far so good, rushing to Bp, got the plane next day to London, and then it started... 4 hrs delay at Heathrow, apparently pilot stike at Royal Air Maroc, missed my connection in Casablanca, stuck at the airport (thousands of ppl in the same situation, no rooms in airport hotels, night on benches, at least I saw Casablanca). After 3 hrs sleeping I got up at 7, still 14 hrs untill our flight to Yaounde, what to do, let`s see Morocco. Well that was funny, first time in my life, I was afaraid on the street. There is a train from the airport to the city, I didn`t have a map, didn`t know if there is anything to see there, just went there so that I won`t be stuck at the airport. Got of the train, started to walk around, and well, I`m used to man saying hi on the streets, `cause that`s the same in all African counrtries, but here actually I was the only women on the streets... it was scary. and ask my brother what does it mean, that I say it was sacry on the street. but well, I thought that there has to be a mosque here, or medina, or sg, so I asked two guys, who looked as if they were tourists (they weren`t), what can I see there, but they said I should take a taxi. First I didn`t want, and started to walk in the direction they said I will find the medina, but after 5 mins I realized a car is following me all the time. So I almost run back to the train station to get a cab, and actually here the cab drivers are also tourist guides, so for 10 Eur he showed me the mosque, some nice buildings and the medina. Quite a nice city, well, would be nicer if I could have walked in the streets, I don`t enjoy sightseeing too much...
Then evening flight to Yaounde, slept on the airport till the project assistant came and picked me up. But already could smeel tha air, see the trees and to red soil, just love that. And then I thaught to myslef that the jungle here is one of the most beautiful places in the world.
Slept in Sheri`s house during the day, than at 6 got on the train to Belabo. 2nd class, some woman and man and mostly children everywhere. There is a stop abt every hour when dozens of woman and children rush up to the train and sell bananas and plantane and batons (strange cameroonian food fold in leaves). Quite cheap, so everyone buys something and they have a picknik in the train. Bit messy, but not much worse that hungarian trains:)
Go to the project about 4 in the morning, this time choose a cemented cabin (Dobrochna, there are two beds, so I thought we could share it when you come), met Ann the current volunteer and went directly to sleep.
Next day I met Sheri, who was leaving in the evening, I was already surpised, that she leaves us without supervision. Poor Ann was running the whole day, I was running after here, to see what has changed, and what has to be learnt again (a lot!!!!). But still at the and of the day felt, like I almost never left. There was no time for quarantine, so the first night I was sleeping already with Margot, an about 10 month old baby, who sleeps with us the night. First she was very scared of me, but when I went to see her the second day, she already vocalized happily:) Then last night I have spent at the camp, where we have a paralised chimp, who gets exercises 4 x during the day, and at night we have to turn him 4 times, so that he doesn`t get any wounds.
So as for the next 2 months, when I`ll be the only volunteer here (Ann leaves in 2 weeks, and no one comes untill september) I won`t have much sleep, cause probabley i`ll be the one turning Arvid at nights, and then when Agnes comes back, she will sleep with the baby Margot (she needs milk bottles at least 2 times at night).
As for the rest of the chimps, i should be in quarantine, but again not enough hands to work, so I`m already in the schedule. I don`t think they recognize me, although Ballas was really staring at me and Aaron desperately wanted to touch me, which he apparently does not do with everyone. Then Caro, she is the same, she wants to garb everyone, so I don`t think she was especially interested in my person, it was rather the novelty. The babies (the ones I spent the most time during my last stay) are so big now, I couldn`t believe, they are already almost young adults... No sign of any memory trace... They are tipical adolescents, think only about themselves:) Now they are in a group of 24, and they really can do everything.
And big change, in the night, you are really alone at the camp, because the baby chimps (Margot and 3 other ones) live next to Sheri`s house, which is about 500 ms down the camp, the enclosures are also bit far, and since now we are only two, Ann and me, and we have to divide between Margot and Arvid, someone has to go to Sheri`s place, and the other person stays in camp with Arvid. And that is amazing, you can just walk around, and there is noone, just you and the jungle (there are though night guards at the enclosures). It`s perfectly safe, the dogs start barking whenever someone comes, so the night guards can come and check what`s going on. But otherwise just you and the jungle. Beautiful...
I`ll continue but I have to go now...
Monday, July 4, 2011
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