Greta, Dave and I hit Bush Bush in Nariva early this morning to look at monkeys, it started with far too many blasted seriously oversized blood sucking mosquifoots and no monkeys. After a couple hours we heard a White-fronted Capuchin Monkey (Cebus albifrons), after a 5 minute search we found a beautiful male feeding on the fruit of what seemed to be the Cannonball Tree (Couroupita guianensis) of which I know of no record of any monkey eating that fruit, which can smell foul. The monkey was very happy and ate without a care, something which will soon be shattered.
After looking we walked off, but had gone only a short distance when several capuchins started screaming as sounds of a serious battle raged, we turned in time to see two monkeys racing after what seemed to be our original monkey. We jogged after them to get a better look and came upon the three posturing, squeaking and glaring teeth at each other. Soon two moved near together and were intent on chasing the third. Of the two, one had a very bloodied ear and was the less aggressive as it was noticeably apprehensive. I moved a bit to see the third and found it had received wounds also. Its mouth had blood, which may have come from injury or licking its wounds on its leg which left it limping, close scrutiny showed that its injuries were serious as it had lost a finger. We studied them for about 10 minutes and they completely ignored us as they were definitely scared to take eyes off each other.
They moved slowly away in a chess game with serious consequences. As they disapeared from us were heard more screaming, but that soon died down.
If you look at this photo in the middle is the capuchin whose ear had been bloodied.
The leaf has a blood trail left on it where the monkey who lost a finger had stood.
I have seen Capuchins in Bush Bush checking fallen cannonball fruit, picking up light-weight fruit and climbing up into a tree with the fruit under one arm. I have photos of Capuchins bashing the fruit on branches. You could hear that noise from quite a distance. They broke open the cannonballs, pulled something out with their hands and ate it. We hypothesised that the monkeys were eating insects that infested the older fruit, but we do not know what they were eating.
Posted by: Edward Rooks | January 20, 2007 at 10:55 PM
Makes my mind clearer to think. Very relaxing.
Posted by: krk realty | August 11, 2011 at 03:15 AM
I don't know why there are mosquito that they are huge and they can suck you dry with one sip.
Posted by: xlpharmacy | November 24, 2011 at 06:32 PM