Page 29 - Local Voices, Local Choices Excerpt

Local ambassadors: learning from and speaking for the chimps 27
tried to beg her, but Fifi kept shouting. Goblin became distressed because he already knew what was going to happen. Soon the other males arrived, they went from one group to the next, stomping on the ground to gather support. Even Fifi stood and followed them.
“Goblin tried to beg them, but nothing he did worked. Willkie led the charge and they rushed to beat him. Goblin climbed a tree, but they pushed it around until he fell out, then he ran. I followed him myself, since I was on attendance. They went northeast up the trail to the moun- tain pursuing him—they all went to ensure he didn’t escape. They caught up with Goblin, built themselves up, and attacked him, around six chim- panzees sitting on him and punching, gnashing their teeth on him until they finally let go. I followed him up on the cliffs, in the early evening where Goblin finally settled and slept alone. He had serious injuries.
“As soon as Goblin was cut down, when they hurt him, he’d already lost his leadership. Willkie took the lead, and after 18 months, he handed the superior position over to who? Freud. Freud had returned. It came full circle back to Freud. This is some of the governance and politics I found to be very fascinating, because most of the time they are very peaceful and loving, especially the females. But they can also be ruthless if the rankings are not in balance.”
Here, Mzee Yahaya pauses for breath, but soon embarks on another story about chimps’ hunting behavior, an attribute he hadn’t known about before he started observing them. “The way chimpanzees hunt—they con- sult each other beforehand. For example, if they are walking in the forest as a whole group, they begin to consult, knowing they have passed a cer- tain animal, and then the male releases a sound as if awakening the hunt.
They have a certain voice, that is, a special signal to get ready. They turn around and look at the females and the children. After placing children on their backs, the females climb into the trees, and the males start the hunting march. When we researchers saw that, we knew there is danger, and you must stay on the sidelines. We would need to move around in complete silence.