Day 14: Figan Catches Another Colobus Monkey
| Date: | July 13, 1974 |
| Start: | 07:01 (nest) |
| Finish: | 19:55 (nest) |
| Duration: | 12 hr. 54 min. |
| Observers: | Curt Busse and Hamisi Matama |
Curt’s Report. Gigi and Goblin descend to the ground at 0655. Figan displays to the ground and gets caught in the vines. This was one of the most bizarre beginnings to a follow as the chimps could never get their signals straight as to what they wanted to do. At first the group waited for Faben, then moved to the west where we had seen a colobus troop the previous evening. Monkeys were heard and Figan oriented towards them. Gigi touched Figan on the back and then disappeared as Figan moved towards the troop. Figan pant-hoot-displayed twice and was just walking in circles trying to find Gigi. Figan didn’t seem to know what to do, then finally he and Faben STREAKED across Upper Linda. Gigi was finally found near the Linda stream with Sherry and Jomeo.
Sniff (Kahama Community) with a colobus monkey that he caught and ate entirely alone on July 10. 
Colobus monkeys were seen in the distance north of the Linda stream. Perhaps these monkeys were part of the same troop which had been heard in the morning. The group Figan, Faben, Gigi, Goblin, and Sherry fed on misuri and mshai near lower LK4. Upon travel to the Linda-Kasakela ridge at 0908 the group “stumbled” upon another colobus troop in Upper Kasakela. After a 15 minute hunt, Figan caught a medium-sized “albino” monkey (see Predation Report). Jomeo, Nope, and Mustard arrived soon afterwards. Figan relinquished the carcass after a few minutes; Faben attacked Sherry and Gigi during the scramble for possession of the carcass. Meat-eating lasted for three hours. and the carcass was shared mostly by Faben, Figan, Gigi, Nope, and Sherry.
Following the meat eating the group fed on mshai, budyankende, and magugunwa as they traveled across Upper Kasakela. Figan groomed Faben during a 15 minute interruption of mshai feeding at KK7. At 1600 Figan sat and waited for Gigi and Faben. Several times Figan spontaneously put hair-out and later he started whimpering. There was no explanation for this behavior. Gigi however was feeding off in the distance and perhaps Figan thought he had lost her. At 1630 Gigi came and the group traveled mostly non-stop to Camp via Dung Hill and the Dell. Figan and Faben did silent displays at the Dell as Mike was seen nearby.
Figan eats mumanda figs behind Jane’s house.
Figan and Faben displayed into Camp at 1700; Miff screamed and avoided. Figan and Faben waited outside Camp 1/2 hour for Gigi who was grooming with Miff. Figan, Faben, and Gigi then rapidly traveled to Jane’s house for mumanda, displaying vocally upon arrival. At 1929, after a long msongati feed, the group arrived at the Lower Kasakela mnazi trees where many other chimps were present including Fifi, Nope, Mustard, Athena, and Atlas. There were several rounds of pant-hoots. Figan fed briefly then nested at 1956.
ASR Details. See the Predation Report for Major ASR of the day. Figan relinquished the colobus monkey carcass to Sherry, Gigi, and Faben only moments after killing the monkey. During the ensuing battle for the monkey, Faben attacked Sherry and Gigi.
Figan rests in his nest.
Nesting Details. At 1929, Figan, Faben, and Gigi arrived at the Lower Kasakela mnazi trees after a long msongati feed. Many chimps were present including Fifi, Nope, Mustard, Athena, Atlas, and possibly Miff and Moeza. Many of these chimps were already nested and others were still feeding. There were many group pant-hoots as Figan, Faben, and Gigi arrived and went into the trees to feed. Figan, Faben, and Gigi all exchanged grunts during feeding at 1942. Gigi built her nest a minute later. Others were also heard nest-building, as it was too dark to see. At 1948 Figan and Faben exchanged grunts as by now Faben had finished nest-building. At 1955 Figan went into an old nest only a few meters from his last feed. He quickly refurbished the nest and pant-hooted as he rested in his nest; the others all responded with pant-hoots.
