Day 20: Figan Reaction to Faben/Gigi Mating
| Date: | July 19, 1974 |
| Start: | 06:52 (nest) |
| Finish: | 19:09 (nest) |
| Duration: | 12 hr. 17 min. |
| Observers: | Curt Busse and Cretus Chiwaga |
Curt’s Report. Figan, Faben, Gigi, and Goblin un-nested in Lower Kasakela and traveled uphill to mnazi trees where Satan, Sherry, and Jomeo were feeding. Figan and Faben displayed upon arrival and many pant-bobs were heard (bad observation, probably Satan). Two minutes later Figan and Faben displayed again. There were pant-grunts by Sherry. Faben then copulated with Gigi and immediately afterwards Figan attacked Faben. Figan then copulated with Gigi.
Melissa pant-grunts and cradles Gremlin while encountering Figan on a forest trail. Figan’s hair is erect, but he reassures Melissa and no aggression occurs. (National Geographic, May, 1979, p. 599. © National Geographic Society).1 
Melissa and Gremlin were passed during travel towards Camp (photo, above). Figan and Faben displayed at Plum Tree Thicket then charged on and displayed at Satan and Sherry, who both screamed and avoided. Figan then sat and waited for Gigi who fed near the Plum Tree Thicket drum tree. Gigi finally came and copulated with Figan.
During travel Gigi carried Aphrodite ventral for several meters. Travel direction shifted as Gigi moved up to the Peak Ridge msongati trees, bypassing Camp. The chimps fed for 1 ½ hrs (Athena, Atlas, and Winkle present). There was 7 minutes of pant-hooting in response to distant pant- hoots from the Dell. Goblin at one point did an absolutely perfect imitation of a typical Figan grunt. Figan, Faben, Gigi, and Goblin moved on to to The Peak for mshai and then traveled into KK6 for ngazi. Figan and Faben waited ½ hr for Gigi during mshai feeding.
I mistakenly drank from the KK6 “stream” and had bad choomingi for the next two hours. During this period Figan and Faben sat on the ground chewing on ngazi most of the time while Gigi fed in a tree. At 1524, Gigi finished her ngazi and the group traveled below Bald Soko to KK7 mshai. At this point I had to leave Cretus and the chimps, and Juma finished the follow for me. Until nesting at 1909, the group of Figan, Faben, Gigi, and Goblin stayed together feeding on mshai, budyankende, magugunwa, and kitota in Upper Kasakela and LK4.
Goblin eats mshai in upper Kasakela.
ASR Details. At 0712, Faben copulated with Gigi. Figan immediately started branch-waving with hair-out and charged hair-out towards Faben. Satan avoided. Figan displayed at Faben and Gigi and stamped on Faben’s back three times (contact II). Faben crouched and screamed then waah’ed as Figan charged off. Moments later Figan branch-waved at Gigi, who presented and they copulated.
Nesting Details. (As reported by Juma who had taken over for me). At 1855 Figan, Faben, Gigi, and Goblin finished kitota feeding in LK4 and traveled a little before sitting. At 1907 Gigi climbed a muguiza tree and nested. At 1909 Figan climbed Gigi’s tree and nested. Faben nested in an ngazi tree. Goblin traveled off a little ways and made his nest.
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