Gari

Sunday 6:58 am

Well, Gari ended up playing with Okeysha last night, and this morning (before 7 am even!) we integrated the entire group together.

Etaito is, of course, being an asshole. He charges over at Gari at every available opportunity, fully pilo-erect, and smacks him around. Gari is finally not cowering in fear -- well, he is, but he isn't running, screaming to Balume.

The problem I see thus far is that he seems really bite-y. He's not doing it maliciously, like Etaito might, but he toddles over, puts his mouth around whatever seems to be nearest (usually my legs/hands/fingers) and bites down, sometimes hard. He's confused when you complain, but I'll admit too that it makes me a bit scared of him because he's just that little bit of unpredictable.

In fact, Etaito seems a lot less "scary" (it's a silly adjective to use for him really - he's 13 kilos) because I'm just used to him, he knows me, we're familiar to one another and I know what to expect from him -- and how to counter it!

But Gari -- I can't just distract him and I don't know him well enough to tell him what to do. So it's a bit weird.

It's 7:30 and I think it's about time to get to the office.

A New Face In the Mix

Sad Gari
Originally uploaded by amalthya.

This is the chimp that was confiscated yesterday. He's finally integrated with the other chimpanzees but it was a harrowing day of screaming and violent diarrhea (his).

He does seem to be calming down finally and acting like a chimpanzee. His horrible chain and collar are off, and he's eating and getting medicine for his worms.

He's even standing up for himself a bit with Etaito, and definitely plays with Okeysha even though he definitely looks small in comparison (and she's our smallest chimp!)

I'm hoping with time that his hair will grow back. And that, ideally, he'd stop biting me.

...Yea.

Oh, and here's the link to the full set:

Africa Week Forty-Five