What is for dinner?

It is just before three in the afternoon at Canaote. The tables have been scrubbed down and the water bowls scoured and replenished. Our picture shows Luis Angel in conversation with Mañiña. Mañiña is anticipating dinner. ‘Why do we have to wait until three thirty for dinner? Why can’t we have it now?’

The meal times at Canaote.We serve dinner at three thirty in the afternoon. Today we have steamed vegetables, apio, carrots, and pumpkin with a large helping of creamed corn. There is a side order of lettuce with a lightly steamed egg.

At eleven, we have a morning snack of fresh leaves, which Luis Angel collects from the forest.

Breakfast is always at exactly seven thirty and is usually fresh fruit and a fortified banana milkshake with added vitamin ‘c’. This morning the fruit is Lechosa (papaya to our non-Venezuelan friends). We cut it longways and leave it in its skin, just the way they love it.
The Lechosa is a very special sweet variety from our own Botanic Garden. The fruit is varied every day, sometimes lightly cooked banana and for a change, occasionally Quaker oats.
This variation in diet is most important and reflects our understanding of the foraging habits of the Howler monkey. More about that in another posting.

The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

Schatov and Emma are now accustomed to their new more secure home. Our photographs today show them in a rare quiet mood. You will remember that Schatov came to us from his family in Caracas and Emma came from ARFA. It only took a few days, together, before they became great friends and completely devoted to each other. We have built a new home for them, within the high voltage fence and adjoining our house. Their new house is a careful copy of their original home. The only difference is that now there is an access to our house. They enjoy the excursions into our home sometimes in the evening. When they visit, it’s a case of hold on to your dinner plate. Schatov is very outgoing on these trips; he wants to play with everyone. Emma is rather more withdrawn and choosy about her friendships. Mañiña is also in house on these occasions and looks over somewhat nervously at Emma, there is no love lost there. But MonaLisa and Rosita and Imanol are here and they are his special friends. Quite a Mad Hatter’s tea party.

From The Mad hatter's tea party, Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

There was a table set out under a tree in front of the house, and the March Hare and the Hatter were having tea at it: a Dormouse was sitting between them, fast asleep, and the other two were using it as a cushion, resting their elbows on it, and talking over its head. `Very uncomfortable for the Dormouse,' thought Alice; `only, as it's asleep, I suppose it doesn't mind.'
The table was a large one, but the three were all crowded together at one corner of it: `No room! No room!' they cried out when they saw Alice coming. `There's plenty of room!' said Alice indignantly, and she sat down in a large arm-chair at one end of the table.
Mad Tea Party
`Have some wine,' the March Hare said in an encouraging tone.
Alice looked all round the table, but there was nothing on it but tea. `I don't see any wine,' she remarked.
`There isn't any,' said the March Hare.
`Then it wasn't very civil of you to offer it,' said Alice angrily.
`It wasn't very civil of you to sit down without being invited,' said the March Hare.
`I didn't know it was your table,' said Alice; `it's laid for a great many more than three.'
`Your hair wants cutting,' said the Hatter. He had been looking at Alice for some time with great curiosity, and this was his first speech.
`You should learn not to make personal remarks,' Alice said with some severity; `it's very rude.'
The Hatter opened his eyes very wide on hearing this; but all he said was, `Why is a raven like a writing-desk?'
`Come, we shall have some fun now!' thought Alice. `I'm glad they've begun asking riddles.--I believe I can guess that,' she added aloud.
`Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?' said the March Hare.
`Exactly so,' said Alice.
`Then you should say what you mean,' the March Hare went on.
`I do,' Alice hastily replied; `at least--at least I mean what I say--that's the same thing, you know.'
`Not the same thing a bit!' said the Hatter. `You might just as well say that "I see what I eat" is the same thing as "I eat what I see"!'

Look and listen.

I have been reading an article in the ‘New Scientist’ magazine, which reports an important conference, held at the Royal Society in London last week. The conference was concerned with, how animals interpret the world. One thing is clear, they do not see it in the same way that we do. Understanding how they see the world will help us to understand their problems, both physical and mental. Accepting that there is a difference can help us to care for them better.
The first example that the article gives does not have my wholehearted agreement. I quote.
‘Your dog falls ill, so you take him to the vet. After a quick consultation you take him home, and soon he appears to be better. But he is not. You and the vet have failed to realise that he is still in severe pain, and the drugs the vet has prescribed will turn him into a social outcast, a dog that may be shunned or even attacked by others.’
The paper goes on to say that the indiscriminate use of antibiotics can destroy important bacteria that live in its anal sac and produce the individual scent by which it is recognizable to other dogs.

So what don’t I like about this?

The presumption that it is a ‘quick consultation’ seems like salting the mine. Why should quick consultations be a cause?
Why does the dog appear to get better, if he is sick, he is sick?
Why does the writer suppose that we do not recognize that the dog is in pain? Isn’t that why we took the dog to the vet in the first place?
The matter of inappropriate drugs is not a matter of understanding the dogs thinking or suffering as much as an ignorance of the physiology of the dog. Aren’t vets trained in these matters?

This was an unfortunate introduction to the subject, which may have given the impression that the whole subject was being treated in a lightweight manner. This is far from the truth.

Several investigators have developed a list of indications relating to specific animals. Pigs and chickens are given as examples. There were also workers in the field of primates that gave very specific lists of indications that the animal was conveying.
Wiseman-Orr and Reid have designed a simple one-page questionnaire that can be used to evaluate whether a dog is in pain, an approach they say can be used to objectively evaluate the welfare of any animal in any setting. Their latest test monitors the health and welfare of dogs suffering arthritis. A series of 109 questions covering 13 facets of a dog's appearance, behaviour and habits allow a vet to track the progression of the disease and which treatments are working. The idea is to replace subjective assessments with an objective, repeatable system of logging symptoms.

David Morton of the University of Birmingham, UK, is developing a system to help vets and owners decide whether an animal is suffering so much that it ought to be put down. Its ratings weigh signs of physical distress against positive signs, such as a dog wagging its tail, to give a dispassionate measure of how an animal is faring.
Françoise Wemelsfelder of the Scottish Agricultural College in Edinburgh is looking at a different aspect of welfare: developing a way to assess the suitability of the environment in which animals are kept. She asks observers to watch recordings of groups of animals and then choose adjectives that best describe their physical condition, demeanour and behaviour in a particular environments. These "emotional profile descriptors" are placed on a grid according to how positive or negative the words are. Completed grids show clusters of words which reflect the body language of an animal in that environment

I can only praise this seminal work. This is the beginning of a better understanding of the needs of our neighbors.
From my own experience, I can identify a happy Howler monkey, by its vocal expressions and its bodily movements. Equally, their words of distress are also identifiable. Howlers come very close to having a language, which is universal. The same sounds mean the same thing from wherever the Howler monkey has originated.
Their body language is also universal. The puffing up of the fur when in a challenging situation. The forward and backward movement when in attack, testing the will of the other party to fight. The shaking of the head when angry.

There is no dictionary for reference. Maybe someone will get around to writing one.

The substance of the conference was that animals, by their body language as well as verbal indications are able to tell us a great deal, if only we will look and listen

Imanol and Schatov will look just like Totto.

When people buy the cute little bundle of red fur along the roadside, they do not realize that they are buying a time bomb. Totto was once small, like Imanol and Schatov. Imanol is charming and naughty simultaneously. He will throw your phone to the floor and then let out a squeak, which more or less says ‘I didn’t know that was going to happen’, then snuggle up to you and smother you with licks. It makes it impossible to reprimand him. Schatov is mainly interested in what you might have to eat. He can be very patient but his hand can dive into your pocket and in a flash he has run off with what he has found. He also steals hats. Emma and Schatov are an inseparable pair. Where Schatov leads, Emma is never far behind. One day maybe, you guess my thoughts? But for now they are very young.
Totto is big, sullen at times, aggressive if he does not know you. It is difficult to determine his mood if you are not in his circle of friends. He is potentially dangerous if you are not wary. In spite of his very macho attitude, he is courteous and respectful to his wife Sophie. He is not a good Christmas present. However, someone once thought so. Take it from me. All monkeys bite and the bigger they are ……

I have been surprised and pleased at the way Totto has worked with me to make a relationship. I don't think he realises that I have been his match maker. But he does recogise me as a friend and that really is something.

Yes in a few years, Imanol and Schatov will look just like Totto.
In our picture you see Totto posing for the camera and in the second picture, Schatov (left ) facing off with Imanol.

Female, the toughest sex?

We have had no opportunity to blog over the last few days. We have been traveling, seeking a new home for ourselves and our monkeys. This is a difficult task; Canaote is a hard act to follow. We have traveled widely from near Turmero high up in the mountains and just over the hill to Colonia Tovar, to Manrique in Cojedes, seeking a refuge from banditry and theft. Nevertheless, life goes on here. We all have colds. Totto has a bad one but is responding well to treatment. Marco has completely recovered. Curiously, the females, Sophie, Sussy, MonaLisa, Emma, and Rosita have been immune to the infection. What does this tell you about the strength of the sexes?
We returned from our travels with fruit not grown in Cojedes. Our picture today shows Mañiña enjoying a peach. The other is of Schatov, having a quiet moment in his new residence. Because his new home adjoins our main house, some of the newer pictures of Schatov show him visiting us. He is very domesticated and very comfortable in human company. Recently we found him asleep on David’s bed. More of those pictures on a later posting.

New challenges await us

After I wrote about the bandit attack on Canaote, we were overwhelmed by your response. Every one of our regular readers has written offering practical advice and actual help. What has become clear is that we can no longer remain at Canaote, the place that has been our home and dream for the last twelve years. We will leave behind the work of these years. When I walk through our arboretum and see the rare fruit trees in full fruit after many years of waiting and the magnificent mature Palms, my heart is very heavy. I do not know what will happen to this work of love. Trampled by bulls, torn by machines? I cannot allow my sentiments to stop what must be.
Bandits have attacked us six times now, each time the attack has been more violent and dangerous. This time they threaten to return and kill David and me. Additionally the farm has been systematical striped of its equipment almost on a nightly basic. Our bull weighing equipment, a very large and heavy device, welded into the structure of the coral disappeared in the night just recently as did our electric plant, which was actually, cemented into the ground. These people have no fear of the law and no respect for decency and fair play. We are not rich people and do not understand their obsession with us.

We have received generous offers of land in several fine locations and we will over the next days visit and determine where we will move to.
I want to make it clear that our dedication and commitment to the Howler monkeys remains unchanged. Where I go, they will go with me.
If our commitment is strong, I must tell you that the commitment of our friends is also strong. We will need to construct five large enclosures to house the five pairs of Howlers we have. One friend has already volunteered to build and pay for two of those enclosures.
We will have to face the ergonomics of moving our monkeys; we have been offered help with this task.
It is difficult for me to sufficiently express my gratitude to our friends.

We are being tried but we will not be found wanting. Maybe our work here is complete and now new challenges await us.

Paradise lost.

I have always thought that Canaote was a paradise and my mission was to care for the children that were brought to me here. In spite of the events I will now recall, I still believe that.
We were attacked by armed bandits again this morning and they held all my staff hostage. This is the 6th time bandits have attacked us here. Young Luis Angel got a very severe blow across the head. The others have been deeply frightened by these people. They stole our old Toyota. The police were about as much use as nothing. Lawlessness has taken over and we live in conditions worse than the Wild West. At least they had Matt Dillon. The long and short of it is, we cannot continue to live here. All my staff without exception have resigned and do not intend to return. The loss of our housekeeper Josephine and Luis Angel is critical
My deep sadness to the people of Venezuela. If you cannot protect the people who love you and want to better and enhance life here, then you enter a new dark age.

My principal concern now is to find another place to live; I have to sell this place of course, as we are not so rich that we can just walk away. I have to find a place where I can erect sufficient enclosures for my 10 monkey children.. That is 5 locations to build.
Maybe our work was finished here. That’s looking at the situation positively. The wages were becoming quite staggering for little or no return. For what we want to do, this farm is just far too big. On selling the place it could be an interesting buy for someone. Perfect grazing for 500 cattle 12 months of the year. It has all the documentation complete required by the new land laws. It could be good for the right people. I am no longer the right people. Any comment you have as a friend would be welcome.
I must say that my commitment to the little red monkeys remains unchanged. I will take them with me wherever I go. I will choose a place suitable for them to be with me. Please have no doubt about my commitment to them.
If you have any suggestions about a location for us to move to, your input will be welcome.
Our horror picture is the five stitches that Luis Angel received on his head wound.

The Malay Apple

The Malay apple or more correctly Syzygium malaccense is a delight to the eye in every respect. It is admired for the beauty of the tree, its flowers and its colorful, glistening fruits, without parallel in the family Myrtaceae. Here in Venezuela it is called Pomagás. We planted this tree in August 1998 and it is fruiting for us this year for the first time. This is another welcome addition to fruits for Venezuela. The Monkeys love it.
It has the texture of a delicate apple and has a similar flavour. Both white and red wine can be made from its juices.
Pomagás is presumed to be a native of Malaysia. It is commonly cultivated from Java to the Philippines and Vietnam, in Bengal and South India. Portuguese voyagers carried it from Malacca to Goa and from there it was introduced into East Africa. It must have spread throughout the Pacific islands in very early times for it is featured in Fijian mythology. The wood was used by the ancient Hawaiians to make idols. The flowers are considered sacred to Pele, the fiery volcano Goddess.

Looking back

When we began to care for howler monkeys, we allowed them to roam freely in the forest. We provided shelter in the roof of our house and two meals a day, breakfast and dinner. At night, they slept in the roof, leaving after breakfast to spend the morning foraging in the high trees of the forest. Midday they returned for siesta, and then they would race off to the forest again until dinner at four in the afternoon. The size of the group varied anything between eight to fifteen individuals. Some chose to leave the group and make off on their own. Some of these children have found partners and live with their families in the nearby forest to this day. There was some loss because of unexplained sickness. We were never able to identify the sickness in spite of expert autopsy at university clinics in Caracas. We do know that it was not Yellow Fever. The one outstanding fact was that animals in enclosures were not affected. This was a forest born disease born by the wild Howlers. Even though we were not aware of any direct contact with wild tribes, the process of ‘marking out’ could easily explain the spread of the sickness. Howlers have an enzyme in their spittle, which they transfer to their beards. The beard they use as a brush to paint the marking point on the tree. This spittle could easily be the reservoir of the disease.
The monkeys that chose to leave the group are more difficult to explain. Anna, one of our early residents, hated other females and caused at least three to leave and find their own place in the forest. We know where they live and often visit them. We do know that they have likes and dislikes of other howlers. This can be surprising. We were sure that Sussy would love Emma when she arrived. Emma was small and baby like and Sussy has been a mother many times. However, the opposite was true; she attacked Emma viciously, resulting in the partial loss of a finger. On the other hand, MonaLisa loves both Imanol and Rosita. She tries to treat them like her own children.
Now as a young adult, Emma attacked Mañiña and he is in fear of her and tried to leave the other day to get away from her. Is this a case of the abused abusing as with humans?

The dynamics have changed because of our decision to keep all the children in large and friendly enclosures. They can no longer leave at will. But that has not stopped this strange dislike that some of them develop to others. This is the reason why we choose partners carefully and make certain that each monkey lives with others that are friendly. Where possible we pair them as husband and wife.

We are often asked, ‘why are your monkeys in cages, why don’t you release them to the forest where they belong?’ From what I have written above, I think you are beginning to see the reason.

One answer lies in the kind of monkey we have here now. In the early days, the howlers came from the forest, having been confiscated by the National Guard from children selling them at the roadside. These wild untamed monkeys had little or no contact with humans. Giving them free range of the forest was not a problem until we began to identify diseases.

All the present permanent residents are from human homes in Caracas and Valencia. They are semi tame. They have special needs that are not answered by the forest. They look for human company and care.

Animals that have been in human company are able to transfer the diseases that they have acquired from humans to their wild friends.
These diseases can then return to the human race through wild animals sold at the roadside or acquired from wild sources. These are the famous Zoonotic diseases, Frequently the disease has been altered and come back with a new strain that humans have not yet encountered. Think of AIDs, Mad Cow disease, Avian Flue just to mention a few that come to mind. This is our main reason for not returning monkeys to the wild.

I have already mentioned that monkeys in enclosures are safe against forest diseases. This is another good reason for housing them in enclosures. It is now five years since we had any problem with health.
Before coming to Canaote some of our children have been sleeping on sofas, covered lovingly with blankets, eating human diet and are frankly not prepared for life in the wild. We try as best we can to give them the comfort that they are used to, but perhaps with a slightly more suitable diet than sardines and spaghetti

When MonaLisa arrived here a few years ago, she had never seen the sky, never felt wind and rain on her face. Never seen let alone climbed a tree and never seen another animal and does not know how to make a baby. She had been living in an apartment in Valencia. Yes, she was loved and well cared for but where was her life? To this day she will only tempt the very low branches of trees. In spite of many opportunities to go with an attractive howler male, she does not identify with them and tries desperately to make love to human males. It is heart breaking to see this.
We try to teach her monkey ways but it is an uphill struggle.

Orchids at Canaote

Canaote Botanic garden is home to many rare species of fruit and palms. For many years, we have collected the rare and exotic from our friends around the world by seed and plant exchange.. This is a useful scientific endeavor. We want to identify the plants that will grow well in this xerophytic environment. We have included many vegetables in our plan but this was not the main purpose.

Some things grow here naturally because this is their original home. The orchid Cycnoches chlorochilon sometimes commonly called the Swan Orchid is one of them. Its shape resembles a swan. Some folk think the photograph is upside-down because most orchids are oriented the other way up but the photograph shown here is correct. It was originally discovered near Maracaibo, Venezuela by a certain Herr Moritz, a German living there. Curiously the R.H.S in London do not accredit this orchid as being of Venezuelan origin, they are mistaken. One feature of Cycnoches species was the extraordinary number of seeds in each seed capsule. Numbering 3,770,000 per pod, with each plant producing six to eight pods. If each seed survived, the earth would be buried under these flowers in fifteen years. Luckily, only a few survive in each generation. There are only sixteen species that we know of. The one in our picture appeared here at Canaote in that location naturally. It is mildly perfumed. We are thrilled to have it here.