Gorilla Sound

Today I want to tell you a story one of our trackers, Mbolo, told me the other day after coming back from the forest. Julia and I went in the morning and then Mbolo and Dona, the afternoon team, came to follow the group until 5 p.m.
Those are Mbolo words; I’m translating from Sango to English!
“We were walking in the forest, following Kingo’ s group. Kingo was in front of us walking too. Between us and Kingo was Kusu. Kusu sat down, and then Kingo did the same. Kusu was looking at us while we were approaching them closer. Kingo stood up and stayed in travel position. Kusu imitated the father, but putting himself in front of Kingo. WE were sitting too looking at them. Kusu looked up to the branch in front of him and immediately ran back like if he got scared of something, then went back looking again. Looked at Kingo for a while then came back looking at thebranch. He did this several times until Kingo looked himself where Kusu was looking, and as Kusu did at the beginning, Kingo immediately run away!. Kusu stayed a little more looking at me this time and then on the branch. As soon as he followed the father, I called Dona and we went to look what was all about. From where Kingo was standing before, we looked up and saw a snake lying on a branch with his head down, as he was ready to bite. We thought Kusu did a big favor to everyone!! He has just indicated to his father and us the location of a dangerous snake!! Gorillas are very similar to us!”

The snake they saw was a female Blanding’ tree snake (Boiga blandinji) a quite dangerous snake. Kusu behavior was very interesting, and the question at this point is (as Mbolo suggested too)….does the direction of looking is a way of indicating direction? Anyway, while we were talking and looking to “the dangerous snake of Africa” book, to recognize the species they saw in the forest, one of the old guy (and all the youngs enthusiastically supported him) told me that when a female Gabon viper (bou in Ba’Aka) make eggs, many species of snake may come out. Among little Gabon vipers you can find small pythons or other snakes… I will investigate about this other story.