Alone at Naranjo and Lost Monkeys

My internet has not been working for like a week, which explains why I have not posted in a while. Ahh! Technology – so wonderful and so incredibly annoying at the same time. So, I wrote the following on the 18th with the intention of posting it then… Hopefully I can get my computer fixed and will get back to posting regularly soon!

A lone capuchin separated from its group, either by force or accident, cannot survive long on its own. It will quickly succumb to starvation or predation or aggression from other monkeys. I felt a little bit like a lone capuchin when I went to the beach on my day off the day before yesterday. The beach is about a 3 hour walk one way from the alberque along a very rough road, and the beach is therefore pretty isolated. Its Playa Naranjo, where Witch’s Rock is, which I guess is a pretty sweet surf spot. It was featured in the movie Endless Summer 2, which I have yet to see. I went there by myself, since I was the only one here who had a day off. The walk was long, but not too bad in the beginning. There’s a look out about an hour into the walk, where I took this picture.

My first view of the Pacific in weeks! The last hour was torture, though, I had no idea how much longer I had to walk, it was midday and freakin’ hot and I just wanted to get there already. When I arrived, I walked straight through the campground, toward the sound of crashing waves, and onto the beach. The beach is huge. It went in both directions for a least a mile, probably more. And there was not a soul on it. There were a few people in the campground, which you can’t see from the beach because its blocked by vegetation. So I had the entire beach to myself.

I change into my bathing suit and head for the water. It was not Caribbean warm, but more like So. Cal. warm. It took a couple minutes to get used to it, but after that it was heaven. Since I was unfamiliar with this beach, I was a little hesitant to go too far out. I was pretty tired from the walk, and I got (maybe unnecessarily) worried that if I got caught in a rip current or something I wouldn’t be able to swim back to shore. Like Lana Turner in The Postman Always Rings Twice, but with no John Garfield to swim me back to shore. So I stayed in water that was no deeper than about waist deep, which I am a little embarrassed to admit. I was just very aware that if anything happened to me, there was no one, like no one, who was there to help me. It was a weird feeling being alone in the water on that beach. Especially for someone for likes to and needs to have a lot of alone time. Maybe I’m more dependent on the company of others than I think.

I lost the monkeys yesterday. Valerie and I were out searching for them, and she found them early in a place they’ve been frequenting. But, they went through an area with really dense underbrush, and we had trouble doing our behavioral follows. And they went to the middle of nowhere, at least by our standards and in terms of trails. They were a good 500m from the nearest trail, and they haven’t been more than 200m this whole time. So, Valerie went in early, since she was going to wake them up, and I stayed to put them to bed. Valerie was slightly concerned about leaving me so far from the trail and me having to bushwhack back in the dark. But, I felt comfortable, so I let her leave. About 15 minutes later the monkeys start heading east, towards the trail and their core area. They weren’t moving too fast. Then the alpha male starts lost calling, which I thought was weird since obviously he’s with the group, but monkeys were answering him, so I think maybe he was calling to round the group up. Then everyone starts moving quickly, and I’m staying with them, moving at a brisk pace but not quite a run. It was fairly open, so I could move easily. Then they start running. Like galloping. One of the females was carrying a juvenile and he looked like a jockey on a thoroughbred. Then I made what I think was my fatal mistake. There was a scuffle, and I turned around to see who it was, because we’re supposed to record aggressive behavior. So I figure out who it is, and by the time I turn back to Baba and the other monkeys, they’re gone. So, I turn back to Albus and Crabbe, the only monkeys I had. And they start running. I run after them, but lose them pretty quickly. When I say run, I really mean run. Saying that I chase monkeys through the forest is not hyperbole. I keep running in the direction they were heading, and caught a flash of a monkey, then ran into some bromeliads (large aloe-like plants with spines) that I had to go around, and that pretty much stopped the chase. I was pretty disappointed. I did my best to stay with them, that’s the most I could do, but I was still pretty bummed that I lost them. I searched for them along the trails until dark, then had to give up. Valerie was going to go out for a half day today, but since we didn’t know where the monkeys were sleeping, she didn’t. So, we lost out on some data.

Oh, after the monkeys rested yesterday they came across an area where a bunch of stink bugs had laid their eggs (the green things stuck to the trees). The monkeys were so happy, making their little happy foraging monkey sounds. And they were really mellow. Usually when they’re feeding down low, they are a little more vigilant, especially Baba. But with the eggs, I guess since there was more than enough for everybody, they didn’t seem to mind me getting really close. There were a lot of adult stink bugs around, too, and on some trees, when the monkeys would jump on them, a bunch of adults would fly off. Pretty cool.

One of the monkeys, Minerva I think, caught a squirrel. Then Albus, who is pictured here, stole it from her. I saw the squirrel with various monkeys throughout the afternoon, so the monkeys seemed to get a lot out of the one carcass.

Anya arrived today. She’s working with birds and will be here through August. Funny thing, I actually applied to be her assistant here. I mentioned this to her, and she said she got like 200 responses to the ad for the position. It made me appreciate a little more how lucky I am to be here and how many people would like to be in my place. Hopefully that thought will make me be a little more appreciative!

One of our study groups came through the central park area today, and it was right after I had bought an ice cream bar at the commissary. My dream of watching monkeys and eating ice cream came true.

Anya brought a new mosquito net for me with her. Its much daintier than the military one I was using, and is free from moth holes. Smells like victory.