Watch the GLTs on the web camIssue Eight, July 23
Travel Paths
The entire family is still taking the ropes to the low black walnut to cross over to Holly Hill. Several days this week, the monkeys stopped on the trunk of the walnut and jumped down to the fence briefly, even foraging along the fence line before climbing back up and crossing. Moe and Mara used the high cross from tree five to the high black walnut once. Coming back, Laranja still uses the low black walnut to the fence line and runs along it all the way to the hemlocks. Mara and Moe are following her more often than dad now, who usually climbs from the bench holly into the white ash down the tupelo right by the picnic area and across the ground into the hemlocks. Moe also took a trip to the Red Light District (the area between the bathrooms and the main exhibit) using the branches of the hemlock closest to the Valley Trail corner that touch the branches of the tree in the Red Light District. He returned by crossing into the high branches of tree three.
New Hangouts
The family is keeping a framework schedule of getting up early, going to the hemlocks, crossing to the bench holly between 7:30 and 9, sometimes taking a trip to the shed holly, Laranja taking a trip back on her own around 11, everyone crossing back to the main exhibit between 1 and 3, and then foraging in the hemlocks for a remainder of the afternoon. Even so, the monkeys are managing to keep things interesting. They have been spending a considerable amount of time on the fence, both in the mornings and in the later afternoon. Everyone is spending more time on Holly Hill and even making multiple trips back and forth between there and the main exhibit. Laranja and the kids have foraged in the trees between the bench and the shed holly several times, coming out very close and sometimes over the Elephant Walk. In the afternoons, Laranja and the kids have started climbing high up to the top of tree 2A where they long call repeatedly. They are still spending a lot of time low in the hemlocks on either side of tree four in the afternoon and sometimes jumping down to the fence.
July 16: Early to Bed, Early to Rise
The family was already in the hemlocks in the corner of the exhibit at 6:45 a.m. The GLTs foraged in the food pans and everyone seemed to take turns stealing food from each other. At 7:45, they took the ropes to the low black walnut and Laranja, Eduardo, and Moe jumped down to the fence line briefly. Laranja returned to the hemlock on the left of tree four to get Baby 2, who had been left there. Mara set Baby 1 down on the trunk of the low black walnut. Laranja left the newly rescued Baby 2 on tree five and continued on the ropes toward the low black walnut, where Mara had now moved down to sit on the fence. Eduardo went along the fence and then down on the ground to tree five and picked up Baby 2. Laranja picked up Baby 1 from the walnut tree and crossed with Moe and Mara.
Eduardo climbed high up in tree five and appeared to be looking for the high crossing. A squirrel startled him, though, and it made the dizzying cross over the tips of the branches onto Holly Hill as Eduardo instead climbed back down into the low black walnut and across. After only a few minutes in the bench holly, Laranja led them straight down to the shed holly, where they stayed mostly out of sight until 11:30. At this point, they moved back into the bench holly, foraging, playing, and resting for the next few hours.
Laranja crossed back to the main exhibit to eat shortly after noon, taking the low black walnut to the fence. She returned to her family after a few minutes. They all crossed back at 1:45, Moe followed Laranja over the low black walnut and soon after Mara followed Eduardo down the tupelo tree on the far end of the exhibit right by the picnic area and across the ground.
The GLTs moved between the hemlocks and the nest box for the rest of the afternoon as they foraged, played, and groomed one another. They were mostly in the box by 5:45 except for some brief trips to the food tray. Eduardo was seen bringing food in the box, which both babies then ate. Everyone but Baby 1 was down below the platform by 7 p.m.
July 17: An Afternoon Fence Walk
The monkeys were already over on Holly Hill when the first watcher got there at 6:50. They were mostly not visible in the sunny branches high in the bench holly. Shortly before 8, they moved to the shed holly. Some playing was seen between Mara and Moe before they moved back to the bench holly at 9:15. Laranja looked like she was going to cross back to the main exhibit but instead joined her family in the bench holly for a few minutes. She crossed back over Tamarin Run at 9:45 to eat but did not stay long as they were doing welding work by the Red Light District (the area of trees between the exhibit and the restrooms) and no doubt the sound and sight of sparks was not a familiar one. They all settled into the bench holly for a few hours to forage, rest, and play.
At 11:45, Laranja crossed back to the main exhibit again taking the low black walnut to the ropes. Moe and Mara followed her over the low black walnut and down the fence. After a few minutes, Eduardo climbed down the tupelo tree and across the path with the babies on his back. Just as Eduardo reached the exhibit, Laranja and the older kids crossed back over the low black walnut onto Holly Hill again. They looked around for him and started long calling when they realized he was not there. He sat calmly in the hemlocks in the corner of the main exhibit with both babies on his back for several minutes before going to the low black walnut and crossing back over, without even stopping to grab a bite to eat.
Once they were all on Holly Hill again, Eduardo went to rest in the bench holly but the others were not ready to sit quietly. Laranja, Mara, and Moe all foraged in the trees that reach out over Elephant Walk past tree 34, giving people a great show but making crowd control rather difficult. After a few minutes, they all returned to the bench holly.
At 1:50, Laranja crossed back to the main exhibit over the low black walnut and down the fence followed shortly there after by Mara and Moe. Eduardo looked like he wanted to follow right away but the babies had different ideas and it took him a few minutes to get them on his back before climbing down the tupelo tree and across the path. Everyone foraged in the hemlocks and the babies were even seen trying their hand at getting mealworms out of the PVC feeder that was hung by tree four.
Every now and then one of the babies would step on one of the plastic rings that hung over the holes and go for a little ride as it twirled him around the pipe. They foraged in and around the hemlocks for the rest of the afternoon and made no sign of slowing at 6 p.m. They explored and scent marked in the area directly behind tree zero. Eduardo and Moe made a quick jaunt down the fence foraging as they went. They got about halfway to Olmsted Walk before turning around and going to tree zero. They all moved in and out of the box until 7, when Moe and Mara were below the platform, both babies played above the platform and Laranja and Eduardo kept watch from outside.
July 18: Box Malfunction
Eduardo came out of the box around 7:15 and shortly after; the rope attached to the door of the nest box came loose and shut, leaving the others closed in the box. Jennifer lowered the box quickly while Eduardo watched from above and the monkeys inside retreated to the lower level. Jennifer and a keeper from Small Mammal House re-attached the rope to the door and raised the box back into place.
Once they opened the door around 7:30, after a minute or so, the rest of the family came out and investigated the situation. They hung around tree zero for a little while, foraging and briefly heading to the hemlocks before Laranja led the way to the crossing to Holly Hill at 8:40. They were mostly not visible in the bench holly until they moved to the shed holly shortly before 10. Baby 1 navigated from the bench holly into tree 34 by itself before Laranja picked it up and carried it the rest of the way. Once there, the kids played for a while and then everyone curled up in a monkey ball.
At 11:40, they headed back to the bench holly and Laranja crossed back to the main exhibit. Moe and Mara followed her over the low black walnut and they all ate. After a few minutes Laranja crossed back into the bench holly followed shortly by Moe and Mara. They rested and foraged on Holly Hill until 2:27, when Laranja crossed back to the main exhibit again carrying Baby 2 down the low black walnut and across the fence. The other three also crossed to the main exhibit after 15 minutes.
They foraged between tree zero and tree four and the surrounding hemlocks for a few hours. At 3 p.m., they all played on the fence for a little while before going back to foraging. Eduardo foraged among the rocks on the ground between trees three and four. At 4:15, everyone but Laranja climbed high in the trees near the Red Light District. At 4:50, Laranja and Moe both crossed over to Holly Hill but Laranja soon crossed back, leaving Moe alone. He foraged and sat quietly, making an occasional long call which his mother would answer. After a few minutes, she crossed over to try to lead him over the low black walnut but he would not commit to following her. Which just affirms the old saying, you can lead a monkey to the walnut tree, but you can’t make him cross.
It took two more tries for him to make it across and in the meantime, Laranja and Mara both spent some time playing on the fence line. Once Moe was back in the main exhibit, Laranja went down to investigate tree nine briefly and moved back and forth between there and tree zero very deliberately, almost as if she was trying to get the family to follow her. She crossed over to Holly Hill once more and lay in a magnolia tree for a few minutes before coming back. She then repeatedly climbed up the branch that runs off the back of tree zero toward Deer Hill, looking around and foraging. She did not settle down in the nest box until shortly after 7, when everyone was inside and moving between the levels.
July 19: There and Back Again, and Again, and Again...
The GLTs were already in the hemlocks eating at 7. Shortly before 8, they made the crossing to Holly Hill and moved into the bench holly. They were mostly not visible there except for periodic playing between Moe and Mara. After 10, they foraged and climbed in the trees out over Elephant Walk. Laranja crossed back to the exhibit briefly at 10:45. She rejoined the family as they foraged, played, and rested in the bench holly.
At 12:15, Laranja once again crossed back to the exhibit to eat, crossing back over the low black walnut after a few minutes. For the next few hours, the monkeys were seen foraging, playing, and grooming one another. At 1:45, Laranja crossed back to the main exhibit yet again over the low black walnut. Moe and Mara followed her but Mara then turned around and went back to Holly Hill. A few minutes later, Laranja and Moe crossed back as well. At 2:25, Laranja crossed into the main exhibit for the fourth time carrying Baby 2 and followed by Moe and Mara. Eduardo crossed very soon after carrying Baby 1, down the tupelo tree in the far corner of Holly Hill, and across the path.
They foraged and played around the nest box until 3:35, when they moved into the hemlocks in the corner of their exhibit to forage some more. Moe crossed into the Red Light District by himself around 3:55, climbing over the branches of the hemlock above the path and returned two minutes later using tree three. Shortly before 5, Laranja, Mara, and Moe climbed high up into the branches of tree 2A, where Moe and Laranja repeatedly long called. They may have been broadcasting up there in an attempt to locate any neighboring tamarins. Eduardo tried to join them but seemed to be too weighed down by the two babies on his back. Instead he went and sat by the nest box while the others moved about. After a while they moved back down and foraged between tree zero and the hemlocks. By 6 they were all in the box though some were visible above the platform until after the watchers left at 7.
July 20: A Blustery Day
It was a very blustery, cool morning when the monkeys were again already in the hemlocks by 7. They played and foraged until 8:30 when Eduardo took off for Tree 9. Laranja, Mara, and Moe climbed to the low black walnut and then onto the fence for a short while before they all crossed to Holly Hill. Both babies climbed the ropes all the way from the hemlocks to the low black walnut all by themselves before they were picked up and carried across.
Laranja headed straight for the shed holly and everyone followed. She was a few feet away from it when she turned around and went to the bench holly instead. The family stayed there for several hours. The kids were seen playing rambunctiously and there was a lot of vocalization. The deer moved across the hill several times throughout the morning, prompting a scolding from the monkeys. At 11:55, Laranja crossed back to the main exhibit to eat briefly before returning to the holly.
At 1:20, Laranja crossed back to the main exhibit over the low black walnut followed closely by Moe and less closely by Mara. Eduardo carried the two babies down his usual tupelo tree and across the path. They foraged in the hemlocks, stopping to play and rest. They moved briefly to tree five to forage in the new bromeliad which they promptly destroyed. At 4, Moe and Mara climbed high up into tree 2A and long called frequently. It was hard to see them as they moved among the branches up there but Mara looked to be foraging in a squirrel’s nest and there were several crows flying about the area. They came down after a few minutes when a deer moved through the exhibit and they joined their parents’ predator calls. They continued to lounge and forage in and around the hemlocks for another few hours.
At 5:40, a large bird flew low overhead and Eduardo predator called. He watched it disappear into the trees and then followed it, stopping at tree five, where he sat and stared in its direction long after it had gone. At 6, Laranja with Baby 1, Mara, and Moe all climbed high up tree 2A again and long called repeatedly. Meanwhile, a deer walked along the edge of Holly Hill and Eduardo called and glared at it from the hemlocks. By 7 p.m. they were all in the box and under the platform for the night.
July 21: Left High and Dry
The day started off cool again with the monkeys climbing up high in tree five. The kids were moving around way up in the branches over the path and Baby 1 followed Moe out to the tip of the branches which is where he was left when everyone else crossed over to Holly Hill. Mara crossed over the low black walnut at 7:25 but then crossed back to the exhibit and went up over the high black walnut cross from the top of tree five with Moe at 7:32. Eduardo crossed over the low black walnut at 7:40. Laranja crossed with Baby 2 and left it in the bench holly while she moved back and forth on the low black walnut, seeming distressed at the absence of her other baby and its calls from high up the tree. It called and called from its lofty perch until Laranja finally rescued it at 8:25 and they all regrouped in the bench holly where they curled up in a monkey ball high in the sunlit branches.
Laranja crossed back to the main exhibit at 9:40 to eat. Moe and Mara started to follow but went and foraged in the trees past the crossing point instead. After a few minutes Laranja crossed back over the low black walnut and they all returned to the bench holly.
Around 11, after spending some time foraging up in the high black walnut, Laranja, Moe, and Mara all moved back into the trees between the bench holly and the shed holly to forage. Mara was investigating some dead leaves and she cried out and jumped away like she had been bit by something. She vocalized for a few minutes and moved back into the bench holly. Everyone followed her and they curled up into a quiet monkey ball for 45 minutes.
Laranja led the cross back at 12:30, with Moe and Mara following her over the low black walnut and along the fence. Eduardo is getting to be very predictable and soon after they crossed, he gathered up the babies and carried them down the tupelo tree and across the path. Laranja, Moe, and Mara ate from the food tray while Eduardo sat with the babies on his back in the hemlocks.
At 12:45, Laranja moved to tree five and started long calling. Then she crossed back over to Holly Hill on the low black walnut followed by Moe and Mara, who jumped from tree five to the fence, which they took to the low black walnut and across. Eduardo sat in the hemlocks half-heartedly answering Laranja’s long calls but not following. After a few minutes, Laranja crossed back to the main exhibit over the low black walnut. Moe and Mara took their time but decided to cross on the ground by themselves following their dad’s typical route down the tupelo tree and across the path. They spent the rest of the afternoon foraging, playing, and resting in the hemlocks. They moved back to tree zero at 5:45 and were mostly inside the nest box by 6:15. At 7, Laranja, Moe, and Baby 1 were all still alert on the top platform of the box while the others were out of sight below.
July 22: Baby on the Fence!
The family stayed later in the hemlocks today, enjoying a sleepy Sunday morning. For two hours they foraged and lay in a monkey ball. At 9 they started to cross to Holly Hill but left the babies in tree five. Laranja went to the low black walnut and jumped down onto the fence. Moe and Mara followed her onto the fence and then moved off to forage along the fence line for about ten feet in the direction of Olmsted Walk. Both babies followed Eduardo along the ropes to the low black walnut. Baby 1 jumped down on the fence with the older kids, hopping along the fence line while Moe pulled on the caution tape tied to the fence. Laranja grabbed Baby 2 and crossed to Holly Hill. Moe and Mara followed her shortly after. Baby 1 climbed up the low black walnut and halfway across the branch that hangs out over the path before Eduardo picked him up and joined the others on Holly Hill. Laranja led them all straight to the shed holly.
They were quiet but moved in and out of sight for several hours before coming out to forage in the branches over Elephant Walk. Laranja picked up a small stick and carried it for several minutes as she foraged before dropping it. Eduardo led them all back to the bench holly around noon. Laranja went to the bench holly for a few minutes before using the low black walnut to cross over to the main exhibit to eat. After about five minutes, she returned the same way. At 1:30, Laranja crossed to the main exhibit again, this time followed by Mara and Moe who all went over the low black walnut and down the fence into the hemlocks. Eduardo was not far behind, climbing down the tupelo tree and across the path with both babies on his back.
They foraged in the hemlocks for a while. We have started hanging a new, shorter food pan to allow the babies to reach food on their own. They have been seen using it but still seem to prefer stealing food from the others instead. They all went briefly to forage in the bromeliad on tree five and enjoyed pulling out the leaves and chewing on the soft, white shoots. Even the babies tried gnawing on them! Around 5:50, they all went into the box briefly but soon reemerged and moved back toward the hemlocks.
Eduardo and a squirrel surprised each other when their paths crossed suddenly in tree three. The squirrel made a sound surprisingly similar to a monkey alarm call and shot up the tree. Eduardo climbed down to the nearest branch and scent marked the area profusely. They all moved back to the box and were inside and briefly all under the platform at 6:15. At 7, Eduardo was alert and the only one visible inside the box.
