Day 31: Figan Quite Tolerant of Michaelmas
| Date: | July 30, 1974 |
| Start: | 09:10 |
| Finish: | 18:29 (nest) |
| Duration: | 9 hr. 19 min. |
| Observers: | Curt Busse and Cretus Chiwaga |
Curt’s Report. Figan was not found in his nest, but was picked up at 0910 as he entered Camp alone. Figan inspected Bolivar the Bushpig’s home then rested on the banana trench for ½ hour before leaving Camp to feed at the muguiza tree near the Mess. As Figan descended the tree at 1058 Gigi arrived. They groomed briefly then traveled rapidly to lower Kasakela where Figan spent the rest of his day feeding on mumanda, kitota, and mnazi.
Miff eats magugunwa while her son, Michaelmas (age 10 months), dangles above. 
At 1523 Figan had been resting for an hour with Fifi, Athena, and Atlas when Satan and Faben did arrival displays. Satan stopped displaying immediately upon seeing Figan who initially had avoided. There had been many waah’s by the group as Satan and Faben arrived. Satan then approached and pant-grunted to Figan. There were two long arrival displays by Figan at the northern mumanda tree where Gigi, Miff, Moeza, Nope, Mustard, Jomeo, and Sherry were feeding. The rest of the group all fed as Figan and Miff groomed on the ground for an hour.
Figan rests on the banana trench.
As the grooming session ended there was a delightful interaction between Figan and Michaelmas. Figan started grooming Miff intensely with loud lip-smacking. Michaelmas was lone playing (dangle) nearby and Figan reached out a hand to play gently with Michaelmas for about 10 seconds as he groomed Miff. Two minutes later Miff moved off several meters leaving Michaelmas still playing near Figan. Figan watched as Michaelmas moved a couple meters closer to Miff. Figan then moved over and sat down next to Michaelmas and watched Michaelmas closely (no contact). Twice again this happened that Michaelmas moved away from Figan, and Figan then moved over, sat down right next to Michaelmas, and watched him. Ten minutes later as Figan rested on the ground, Michaelmas lone-played in contact with Figan several times.
Satan bobbed twice to Figan before the group traveled to nearby mnazi trees to feed before nesting. Figan nested at 1825.
Satan feeding.
ASR Details. At 1523, Figan was resting on the ground in dense Lower Kasakela with Fifi, Athena, and Atlas when Satan and Faben did arrival displays. Initially I totally doubt that Satan and Faben were aware of Figan’s presence when they displayed at Fifi and Athena who were much closer and more visible. Figan put hair-out and avoided a little as the females waah’ed. Satan stopped his display as soon as he saw Figan, and perhaps realizing that he had made a “mistake” Satan approached and pant-grunted to Figan.
Nesting Details. Figan rapid-grunted during mnazi feeding with Fifi, Gigi, Miff, Moeza, and others in Lower Kasakela at 1800. Figan left the group at 1821 and traveled back near the korongo north of Kasakela where he nested 8 m up in a tree 100 m from the others. Figan finished nest-building at 1828 and he rapid-grunted as he sat in his nest. A minute later Figan rested in his nest where he was found the next morning. Many other chimps including Nope, Mustard and possibly Harmony and Beethoven were nested close by.
