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The Bossou Environmental Reserach Institute (http://www.prikyoto-uac.jp/chimp/index.html) is all about chimpanzees. In the village of Bossou, the people believe that the chimps are reincarnations of their ancestors so for many years they have lived peaceably with the chimps sharing the natural resources. Over the years the chimp colony has declined in numbers due mainly to habitat loss through deforestration, disease, and regulation of incest. The group is trying to find ways of maintaining the remaining 12 chimps from a total in 1976 of 22 by initiating reforestration, controlling disease, and building a green corridor with Mnt Nimbus so that the chimps can travel safely from one region to another.
We were ready to leave camp on a trek to see the chimps at 7:00 a.m. but by African style we didn't leave until 8:30 a.m. Then we set off on a tremendous three hour trek through the forest, up and down hills, along the edge of hills, through the thick vegetation of the forest, across little streams either by stepping stones or log, through swamps, through coffee plantations, through valleys all the time the vines entwining us to try and delay us forcing us to appreciate the land we were travelling through. Our footsteps crunched through the bed of parched leaves on the forest floor. Our bodies were scratched and stroked and whacked with the tree branches, thorns, growth, and our nostrils were filled with the smell of rotting cabbage alternating with the sweet aroma of bamboo and fresh mint. We had dressed appropriately for the forest. Long trousers tucked into our socks, hiking boots, and long sleeved shirt, plus bug spray, but as the morning went on and the sun came up it got hotter, and hotter and the sweat started to roll down our faces, trickle down our spines, and soak our clothes. Just when we thought we would never see the chimps, our guides made us don the white masks we had been given to prevent diseases from us spreading to the chimps, and got us to walk closely together, and all of a sudden, we coincided with the second group of 6 (we were a group of 5), and then there were 11 of us following behind a beautiful black chimpanzee. At one point, a baby got separated from its mother and the howl it and i's mother put up was quite alarming. There was a scurry and baby crossed between us and found its mother. Soon the chimps settled down, and we were able to lie on the forest floor and peer at them through the trees, probably no more than about 20 or 30 feet away them. One sat at the bottom of the tree, and 2 others climbed the tree. We sat there for about 20 minutes, then the 2 up the tree came down, and slowly they wandered off and we returned to camp. it was an amazing experience to see these animals in the wild, and to sit there watching the one on the ground turn and look at us from time to time, just to check that we were still there, and to let us know they had seen us. It was a highlight!
After returning to the camp site we ate lunch, and left around 2.00 p.m on our way to N'Zerekore.This was a quick drive of about 2 hours, through the exciting market in Lola, past a police check with two big cannons pointing directly at us, and all the two-handed waves, and thumbs up signs that the very welcoming people along the way gave us. Guinea has a nice feel. It is poorer than the other countries, but this part is certainly beautiful, and the people are gorgeous. Tonight we are staying in the Hotel Mnt Nimba. and will spend tomorrow, Ray's birthday here before heading further into Guinea.
The Bossou Environmental Reserach Institute (http://www.prikyoto-uac.jp/chimp/index.html) is all about chimpanzees. In the village of Bossou, the people believe that the chimps are reincarnations of their ancestors so for many years they have lived peaceably with the chimps sharing the natural resources. Over the years the chimp colony has declined in numbers due mainly to habitat loss through deforestration, disease, and regulation of incest. The group is trying to find ways of maintaining the remaining 12 chimps from a total in 1976 of 22 by initiating reforestration, controlling disease, and building a green corridor with Mnt Nimbus so that the chimps can travel safely from one region to another.
We were ready to leave camp on a trek to see the chimps at 7:00 a.m. but by African style we didn't leave until 8:30 a.m. Then we set off on a tremendous three hour trek through the forest, up and down hills, along the edge of hills, through the thick vegetation of the forest, across little streams either by stepping stones or log, through swamps, through coffee plantations, through valleys all the time the vines entwining us to try and delay us forcing us to appreciate the land we were travelling through. Our footsteps crunched through the bed of parched leaves on the forest floor. Our bodies were scratched and stroked and whacked with the tree branches, thorns, growth, and our nostrils were filled with the smell of rotting cabbage alternating with the sweet aroma of bamboo and fresh mint. We had dressed appropriately for the forest. Long trousers tucked into our socks, hiking boots, and long sleeved shirt, plus bug spray, but as the morning went on and the sun came up it got hotter, and hotter and the sweat started to roll down our faces, trickle down our spines, and soak our clothes. Just when we thought we would never see the chimps, our guides made us don the white masks we had been given to prevent diseases from us spreading to the chimps, and got us to walk closely together, and all of a sudden, we coincided with the second group of 6 (we were a group of 5), and then there were 11 of us following behind a beautiful black chimpanzee. At one point, a baby got separated from its mother and the howl it and i's mother put up was quite alarming. There was a scurry and baby crossed between us and found its mother. Soon the chimps settled down, and we were able to lie on the forest floor and peer at them through the trees, probably no more than about 20 or 30 feet away them. One sat at the bottom of the tree, and 2 others climbed the tree. We sat there for about 20 minutes, then the 2 up the tree came down, and slowly they wandered off and we returned to camp. it was an amazing experience to see these animals in the wild, and to sit there watching the one on the ground turn and look at us from time to time, just to check that we were still there, and to let us know they had seen us. It was a highlight!
After returning to the camp site we ate lunch, and left around 2.00 p.m on our way to N'Zerekore.This was a quick drive of about 2 hours, through the exciting market in Lola, past a police check with two big cannons pointing directly at us, and all the two-handed waves, and thumbs up signs that the very welcoming people along the way gave us. Guinea has a nice feel. It is poorer than the other countries, but this part is certainly beautiful, and the people are gorgeous. Tonight we are staying in the Hotel Mnt Nimba. and will spend tomorrow, Ray's birthday here before heading further into Guinea.
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