Watch the GLTs on the web camIssue 19, October 8
Travel Paths
Lots of travel paths this week as the family continues to go somewhere different every day. The paths that the monkeys are using to cross to Holly Hill are somewhat diversifying. They usually still take the low black walnut, sometimes they use the ropes and sometimes they go up tree five and climb down into the top of it before running across.
They also sometimes climb all the way to the top of tree five and cross over into the high black walnut. On their way back, they almost always take the low black walnut to the fence though sometimes part of the family follows Laranja down the ropes. Moe almost always takes the fence.
Now and then when they climb to the low black walnut on the ropes, they jump on the fence instead of crossing, running along it to the fence holly or further to tree 15. This week they crossed Tamarin Run by tree 17, going from the Holly Hill side to the main exhibit side and then back. They also crossed into the trees that line the elephant yard one day, moving through the branches above Elephant Walk.
They also revisited last week’s path to the Bird House, crossing into the Red Light District through the hemlocks and then crossing to Bird Hill over the road that runs by the bathroom. They went up and then along Bird Hill all the way over to the kori bustard yard. They all crossed back the way they had come except for Eduardo who crossed into the Red Light District on the ground.
New Hangouts
With the family visiting a different area everyday, they currently have quite a repertoire of hangouts. They still have their tried and true areas of bench and shed hollies and they spend a good deal of time foraging all along Holly Hill. They spent a little bit of time in the trees bordering the Elephant Yard, the fence holly, all along the fence, in tree 17, and in the Red Light District. They made one trip to Bird Hill, all the way up to the Bird House, along the outdoor exhibits, and into the kori bustard yard! A typical day also now includes a trip to explore the holes in tree nine. But their favorite place to hang out is still in the hemlocks and the surrounding trees.
October 1: Fun on Holly Hill
The family was up and moving around their exhibit at 7 a.m. Laranja led them all across the low black walnut to Holly Hill at 7:20. One of the babies took a detour to tree nine and stayed there for five minutes by itself before crossing to join the rest of the monkeys. They all settled into the bench holly for about an hour and moved about the high branches. At 8:30 they moved down toward the shed holly and into the trees beyond it. They foraged in the trees and then spent some time scent marking and playing on the roof of the shed.
At 9:45 they headed toward the low black walnut where they crossed back to the main exhibit. They ate from the food tray for a few minutes before Laranja led them all back to Holly Hill at 10:12. She and Baby 2 went over the low black walnut and the others climbed up tree five into the top of the low black walnut and over. They stayed in the bench holly for 20 minutes before heading back toward the shed holly once again. The kids got very rambunctious on the shed, wrestling and rolling down the sloped roof.
At 11:30 they started to head back toward the bench holly but turned around and moved back into the shed holly. After a few back and forths while foraging, Eduardo led them to the low black walnut and across to the main exhibit at 12:20. They once again ate and foraged in the hemlocks until 12:53 when Laranja led them back over to Holly Hill. They stayed in a monkey ball high in the branches of the bench holly for about an hour. Shortly after 2 p.m., they moved back toward the shed holly again, stopping to forage at the clump of magnolias where the china berry vine grows.
At 2:40, they started to move back along Holly Hill and everyone except Eduardo jumped to the ground to forage and play. They were all off the ground after a few minutes but continued to forage and rest in the trees between the two hollies, near the low black walnut. At 3:40 they finally crossed back to the main exhibit for the third time. They foraged in the main exhibit and came down to the scale station to be weighed. The evening shadows lengthened and the air cooled as the monkeys entered the nest box at five. They moved below the platform to sleep and were not visible for the rest of the night except for an occasional trip to the top level.
October 2: Sibling Rivalry
The family was up and foraging near the nest box at 7 a.m. The monkeys moved between tree zero and the hemlocks for more than an hour before crossing to Holly Hill at 8:15. They moved about the bench holly for half an hour before heading down to the shed holly. They settled into the shed holly for two hours, sitting in a monkey ball in the sun and grooming one another.
Shortly after 11, they headed back toward the low black walnut where they crossed back to the main exhibit. Eduardo stayed behind for several minutes by himself in the bench holly before following the others to eat as well. They all ate from the food trays until Laranja led them back across the low black walnut. They settled into the bench holly, grooming one another and moving about the top of the tree.
Shortly before 1 they moved out of the holly and foraged along Holly Hill, ending up at the magnolia across from tree 13 where they ate berries from the vines growing there. They all crossed back to the main exhibit at 1:45, running quickly over the low black walnut. Laranja took the ropes from there and everyone else used the fence.
Just before 2, Mara spied a nut on the rock that sticks out of the ground behind tree four. She hopped down to the ground and investigated it, following it whenever she dropped it and it rolled away. Baby 1 came down to check it out as well and even Laranja hopped down briefly to see what the excitement was about. The family moved about the hemlocks, foraging. The babies played in the hemlock to the left of tree four, running to the tips of the branches and scolding any visitor that didn’t move back far enough.
At three, they all foraged for mealworms in the PVC pipe feeder, but Moe chased Mara away anytime she approached. She tried to approach from all angles, but whenever she got close, he would run at her and she would flee. Finally, once the rest of the family left, she and Moe sat together and ate the last few worms, though Mara started to leave anytime Moe moved.
At 3:30, they were all back on the ground between trees four and three. The kids played and the parents foraged. Eduardo scent marked the large rocks heavily. They headed back to the nest box around 5:20 and stayed inside for the rest of the evening, moving between the platforms. At seven, Eduardo and the babies could be seen sleeping above while the others were out of sight below.
October 3: Moody Laranja
At 7 a.m., the monkeys were sitting on the branches of tree zero, resting on this overcast morning. They crossed to Holly Hill at 7:20 and spent a half an hour high in the bench holly. At 8, they moved down toward the shed holly and into the trees past it to forage. They stayed high in the trees and mostly out of sight.
At 9:20 they headed back toward the bench holly but turned around and foraged near tree 32 before heading back to the shed holly. At 10:50, they finally made it back to the main exhibit, crossing over the low black walnut. They ate from the food tray for a few minutes but did not stay long as Laranja led them all back across the low black walnut to Holly Hill. They stayed mostly out of sight in the high branches of the bench holly for an hour and a half, the faded dye on their tails making them hard to identify.
At 12:40, they moved down Holly Hill back toward the shed holly. They foraged around the holly and settled into it to groom each other for a few minutes. At 1:45, they were back at the low black walnut crossing back to the main exhibit once more. They foraged in the hemlocks and the kids played. Mara stalked a squirrel and Baby 1 tried to catch a bird, pouncing onto the branch as it flew away. Any time the kids approached Laranja, she moved farther away. She scent marked tree three several times and arch walked four times in a ten-minute period in between grooming sessions with Eduardo.
At five, they all moved to explore tree 9, disappearing into the hollow tree for half an hour. At 6, Eduardo emerged and went back to the nest box followed by the babies. The others followed slowly, Laranja leaving last. They ate briefly from the food tray before entering the nest box and disappearing below the platform for the rest of the evening.
October 4: Red Fox
As usual, the monkeys were awake and moving around tree zero at 7 a.m. At 7:20 they all moved toward the low black walnut and Laranja started to cross. The rest of the family ignored her, moving to explore trees eight and nine. Laranja long called several times but when they didn’t answer, she joined them in tree 8 and several monkeys sat together in a monkey ball. Moe and Baby 1 disappeared inside the holes on tree 9 for a few minutes. When Moe climbed out, he didn’t see the rest of the family in tree 8 and quickly ran to the low black walnut and over to Holly Hill at 7:37. He long called from the bench holly and Laranja answered. After a few minutes, he climbed up the high black walnut and crossed into the top of tree five. Then he ran down and joined the rest of the family in tree eight.
A few minutes before eight, everyone crossed over the low black walnut together and settled into the bench holly. The babies chased each other around the branches, playing while the others rested and foraged. Shortly after nine, a huge red fox ran down Holly Hill and through the main exhibit, the family predator called after it. At ten, they all crossed back to the main exhibit over the low black walnut. They all ate from the food tray and foraged in the hemlocks.
At 10:30, Baby 1 fell from tree three but caught himself in the branches about a foot from the ground. Twenty minutes later, the family moved to the low black walnut and crossed very quickly back to Holly Hill. They headed straight for the shed holly and sat in monkey ball, grooming each other for 45 minutes.
Around noon, they moved into the trees past the holly, foraging and vocalizing to each other. A few minutes later they headed back into the shed holly for 45 minutes. At one, they moved into the trees that border Olmsted Walk and foraged in a holly. They explored the strip of trees along the walkway for about an hour before Eduardo led them back toward the bench holly.
They stopped and foraged in the magnolias near Tamarin Run before crossing over the low black walnut at 2:08. They all foraged around the main exhibit. Shortly after four, they all jumped to the ground between trees thee and four, and played on the ground or foraged among the large rocks. They started back toward tree zero shortly after five, moving through the neighboring trees for a little while. At six, they all settled into the box and by seven, Laranja was the only one visible, sleeping above the platform.
October 5: Acrobatics
The last few members of the family were leaving the box when the watchers arrived at 6:50 a.m. They foraged around the main exhibit until they crossed to Holly Hill over the low black walnut at 7:50. They settled into the bench holly and all four kids ran rings around it while they chased each other.
Around 10:15, they moved through the trees to the left of the bench holly and into the smaller holly that sits near the fence on Elephant Walk. They foraged there for a few minutes before moving back to the bench holly using various routes through the surrounding trees. It appeared that all the monkeys had made it back into the bench holly when the watchers heard something big land in the rubber tree. It was Moe! He must have made a leap of at least ten feet to get from the holly to the rubber tree! He sat there for second as if he couldn’t quite believe he had really made such a big leap before climbing into the bench holly to join his family.
At 11:20 they all crossed back to the main exhibit over the low black walnut. They foraged around the main exhibit, moving through the hemlocks and into the trees past tree three. At 12:31, Mara crossed over the path to the Red Light District (the area of trees between the bathroom and the main exhibit) through the branches of tree three and crossed back a minute later. They continued to forage in the hemlocks and around tree four for several hours. The kids broke into play sessions now and then, chasing each other and practicing their acrobatics with wild jumps between the trees.
Just before three, Eduardo, Mara, and Moe all chased a squirrel. They headed back toward tree zero at five, stopping at the food tray to grab a snack before bed. By 5:30 they were all in the box, moving between the levels. When the watchers left, Eduardo and Baby 1 could be seen sleeping on the top level of the box.
October 6: A Visit to the Kori Bustards
The monkeys were all still in the box at 7 a.m. but were stirring. By 7:10 they were all out and moving about the exhibit. They crossed to Holly Hill just before eight and moved down toward the shed holly. They moved into the trees past the holly and foraged near Tamarin Run.
Around 9:30, Eduardo crossed high in the trees from Holly Hill to the other side of Tamarin Run followed by the kids. After a few minutes, Laranja joined them in tree 17 as well. They foraged until ten, when they all crossed quickly back to Holly Hill over the small, low branches to the right of tree 17. They continued to forage in the trees along Holly Hill for an hour.
At 11 they crossed back to the main exhibit over the low black walnut. They foraged briefly in the main exhibit before everyone made their way into the Red Light District at 11:20, Laranja bringing up the rear. They foraged through the trees and at 11:45, Mara took the lead and crossed to Bird Hill through the trees that reach over the road that runs past the bathrooms. Everyone followed her and Eduardo lost no time in moving to the top of the hill and locating the barred owl exhibit by the Bird House. They spent a few minutes yelling at the owls before moving along the hillside past the outdoor crane yards.
After an hour or so they seemed to make an attempt to head back home, but without luck in finding a good path back, they stopped and rested for a few minutes after which they made their way further up the hill. They foraged and explored, jumping on the ground making their way up the hill. Laranja and Eduardo scent marked their new territory now and then.
Shortly before two, they reached the edge of the kori bustard yard and entered it. The bird keepers had been contacted and the hot wire surrounding the yard had been turned off but it must have kept a residual charge because when Laranja touched it she screamed and jumped away. They continued to forage in and around the kori yard for about an hour, occasionally yelling at the koris.
At 2:40 they started moving back toward the barred owls, but Eduardo had to make a quick stop and call at the cranes. Didn’t they know this was GLT territory? They moved down the hill and crossed back into the Red Light District at three, continuing straight back into the main exhibit. They foraged around the hemlocks for two hours, unwinding after their long adventure.
At five, they moved back toward tree zero, stopping at the food tray on their way. They moved in and out of the nest box until 6:30 when they settled in for the night. When the watchers left, only Eduardo was visible, sleeping on the upper level.
October 7: Moody Moe
At 7 a.m., Eduardo left the box and the rest of the family soon followed. They foraged around the exhibit for several minutes. Everyone except for Moe crossed to Holly Hill at 7:35. He sat at the water dish by himself for ten minutes, drinking periodically before finally following behind the others. They all moved around the bench holly for half an hour before heading down toward the shed holly. They foraged along the way and then settled into the shed holly for an hour, grooming each other in the high branches.
At ten, they left the holly to forage near the garden and then headed back to the bench holly. They were mostly out of sight in the high branches of the holly for two hours except for a short trip to forage in the tupelo tree at noon. Shortly before one, they all crossed back to the main exhibit over the low black walnut. On his way down the fence, Moe jumped down and explored the bench briefly before climbing into the hemlocks. They all ate from the food tray and foraged.
At 1:30 Moe climbed far out on the branch of the hemlock to the right of tree four and surprised some visitors who were too close. When they moved back, he jumped down to the fence and looked for insects. After a few minutes he climbed to the ground on the exhibit side of the fence and moved along the concrete curb that runs along the fence. He made it to the kiosk before he climbed back up the fence and moved back the other way. At 1:46 he jumped back into the hemlocks and joined the rest of the family.
Laranja crossed quietly to Holly Hill by herself at three and she sat alone for a few minutes before long calling. The rest of the family responded and then followed her over. They moved into the high branches of the bench holly, mostly out of sight for an hour.
Shortly after four, Moe led the cross back to the main exhibit followed by Baby 2. They jumped onto the fence and foraged by the kiosk. A few minutes later Laranja crossed and the others followed. Instead of heading back to the main exhibit area, Eduardo led them all down the fence toward Olmsted Walk. They stopped at the trash can and scent marked it, much to the chagrin of the maintenance worker who came by to change the trash bag. They moved into the fence holly and into the trees beyond it, slowly making their way back to the main exhibit. They stopped and explored tree nine briefly on their way.
Once everyone had left the hollow tree, Moe hung back, climbing to the top of the stump and long calling repeatedly. Laranja replied but did not come back. After a few minutes, Mara joined her brother on top of the stump and sat on him. He put up with it at first and then struggled out from underneath his much bigger sister. He started down the ropes toward tree five but when Mara started to follow, he turned around and arch walked, (quite a feat to accomplish on the wobbly ropes!) He stopped in tree six and they chased each other briefly around the trunk when she followed. Then they both rejoined the rest of the family.
They all headed back to tree zero around five, moving in and out of the nest box and climbing around on the nearby branches. By six, most of the GLTs were in the box but they continued to be restless with one or two moving out now and then. A large hawk flew through the area and landed in the trees parallel to tree zero on the other side of Valley Trail. It stayed there for the rest of the evening but the monkeys stayed safe near the box. At seven, everyone was inside except for Eduardo who kept watch from his branch.
