Day 1: Figan Catches a Colobus Monkey
| Date: | June 30, 1974 |
| Start: | 07:53 |
| Finish: | 19:17 (nest) |
| Duration: | 11 hr. 24 min. |
| Observers: | Curt Busse and Kassim Selemani |
“The marathon began on 30 June 1974 and continued until 18 August . David and Curt, each accompanied by one of the field staff, spelled one another every four days, so while one of them was clambering around the mountains after Figan the other was writing up the information he had collected — and resting after the arduous four days of following.” — Jane Goodall
Through a Window: My Thirty Years with the Chimpanzees of Gombe, 1990, p.58
This is the story of the Figan Follow; its 50-day mission to seek out predatory behavior and intercommunity interactions, to constantly monitor the behavior of one studly chimpanzee, to boldly do what no man has done before; etc. b.s.
Summary: Figan catches a colobus monkey in Upper Linda Valley. Many attacks ensue while the chimps eat meat. Adult female Sprout and a new mother-infant pair, Harmony and Beethoven, are seen at the predation. A large group then travels into Upper Rutanga Valley. Patti is sexually active.
Figan during msongati feeding in the upper valleys. 
Curt’s Report: The fabulous famous Figan Follow began a day early as I picked up Figan at the kilukia tree near Camp to the east. Figan was in the process of a series of displays directed at Humphrey, Satan, Sherry, etc. Patti was fully pink and perhaps there was some competition over her. Several chimps were in the vicinity as Figan, Humphrey, and Goblin traveled up Peak Ridge to feed on msongati. There were several sets of pant-hoots and the whole valley was noisy. Patti joined the group at 0920 and immediately there was a copulation with Humphrey.
This small group traveled to the top of Peak Ridge where they met Faben, Mike, Athena, and Atlas. Atlas sought Figan’s protection during rough play with Goblin. There were several rounds of pant-hoots by the group as they fed on msongati. Mike, Faben, and Figan copulated with Patti in rapid succession.
Figan’s older brother Faben holds his paralyzed right arm with his right foot. Faben was stricken during the polio epidemic of 1966, but thrived despite his handicap because of his strong alliance with Figan. Adolescent male Goblin watches from behind. The photo was taken in “Chimp Camp” (aka The Feeding Station).
Faben initiated and led travel up to The Peak where he and Figan did two pant-hoot displays. Humphrey, Patti, Mike, and Goblin followed. The group hit budyankende, mshai, and magugunwa in Upper Kasakela and misri at the Linda-Kasakela ridge. Jomeo joined the group at the ridge and there was a brief “scare” caused by some rustling nearby which turned out to be Nope and Mustard. As the group fed at 1242 there were screams and waah’s from downhill (perhaps Mustard and Goblin playing) and the entire group tore off in that direction. Figan and Faben did two pant-hoot-drum displays.
Colobus monkeys were heard in the distance at the Linda stream. Figan, Faben, Humphrey, Mike, and Jomeo immediately took interest and traveled to the center of the colobus troop (see Predation Report). There were 5 minutes of hunting before Figan caught a medium-sized colobus monkey. Immediately there was intensive begging by Humphrey, Mike, and Faben. Nope, Mustard, and the strange mother-infant [Harmony and Beethoven] were nearby. Jomeo left the group and wasn’t seen again. The males were all successful at getting meat. The strange mother begged and was hit by Faben.
Adult female colobus monkey at Mitumba Valley, Gombe National Park, 2024. An adult male is partially hidden at the upper right.
At 1311, the head had been completely eaten. Figan displayed at Mike and Humphrey and came down to the ground where the rest of the meat-eating took place. Mike was successful at getting the largest part of the carcass. Miff, Moeza, Gigi, and Sprout arrived in that order and virtually all of the chimps were successful in obtaining meat. When Sprout arrived I first thought that she was Satan; only after I saw her bottom did I realize it wasn’t Satan. Sprout is a huge aging female with a face identical to Satan’s. She was very wary of me but allowed me to get within 5 m.
Gigi was attacked first by Figan and Faben then later by Humphrey. There were many displays and much ASR during the meat-eating. Figan fed continuously until 1420. He chewed on a wadge for the next hour while Sprout begged intensively from Mike nearby. It rained briefly during this period. The meat had all been eaten by 1526 and Figan was the last to move as the group traveled north past the Linda stream.
During travel there were many screams ahead as Humphrey attacked Patti; Figan followed with an attack on Nope. The group then moved to the Upper Linda mshai fields and moved slowly into Upper Rutanga, feeding also on magugunwa. There was a brief “stranger scare,”Figan with a silent display in response to perhaps some distant drumming, however the group seemed more intent on feeding than looking for strangers (see Stranger Contact). The large group, still intact from the meat-eating, was very spread out in Upper Rutanga and the principle activity was feeding. Mike and Faben displayed in a possible “tension release” upon returning to the Upper Linda-Rutanga ridge. Figan left the group and traveled alone to Upper Linda where he fed on budyankende and then nested at 1915 with Miff, Moeza, Patti, and Goblin.
Faben feeds on msongati near Peak Ridge. Figan is hidden in the back side of the tree.
Aggression-Submission-Reassurance (ASR): Figan displayed 34 times today, more than any other BARF follow. Figan was found early in the morning, in the process of displaying at Humphrey. Patti was fully swollen and perhaps was the impetus of Figan’s long series of displays. Figan displayed again with authority in the kilukia tree and sent Humphrey, Patti, Sherry, and Goblin scattering. Figan then displayed four times in succession at Satan who frantically avoided.
Figan, Humphrey, Sherry, and Goblin then traveled to Peak Ridge to feed on msongati. During travel Figan displayed six times; Humphrey displayed with Figan once and the entire group pant-hooted each time. Figan and Humphrey met Mike and Faben on the top of Peak Ridge but there was little ASR as the chimps had all been vocalizing in close proximity earlier.
At 1123, upon arrival at The Peak, Figan and Faben did pant-hoot-drum displays. Humphrey, Mike, and Goblin pant-hooted during the displays and there were several waah’s. See the Predation Report for much aggression during meat-eating, which followed Figan’s catch of a colobus monkey in Linda Valley.
Nesting Details: After traveling to Upper Rutanga with a large group (including Faben), Figan split and fed alone on budyankende in LK7. At 1827 Figan did a pant-hoot-drum display; there were distant pant-hoots in response, perhaps Faben. Figan continued feeding and traveled tangent to the distant pant-hoots. Figan and Faben exchanged grunts as they reunited at 1847. Figan and Faben exchanged grunts and then Faben nested 40 m downhill from Figan. Many other chimps were in the area. Figan continued to feed on budyankende.
