Recently we decided it was time for another day trip outside of Monrovia. We had heard of a place called Monkey Island where lots of (you guessed it) monkeys live. You take canoes out and get close enough to take pictures and watch the animals.
Turns out it’s not actually called Monkey Island – the locals don’t really have a name for it. Also, it’s inhabited by chimpanzees, not monkeys. The story is that the chimps used to be part of a German research project and when it finished they were released onto this island. All seven of us were able to take a larger boat out together – a long, slim, felucca-like boat that had a motor and about ten planks for seats.
The 15 minute trip out to the island was lovely. It was hot, but the breeze was really refreshing. As we approached the island we saw a “Danger” sign but no chimps. Before we got onto the boat we bought a lot of mangoes (or plums) to bring with us. I had thought they were our snacks. Turns out we were going to throw them at the island to lure out the chimps. It worked. Quickly several chimpanzees emerged from the woods and they went right after the fruit. It was amazing how quickly they peeled and ate them, and the mangoes looked so vivid against the animals’ dark fur!
At one point a small fishing boat got pretty close to the island and the lead chimp started shouting / squawking at it. The closest we got was about 50 yards away. After about 20 minutes of frantic picture taking and mango throwing, we sailed around the island and found a little jetty where we could ground the boat and explore. Most people went for a swim. The setting was like something out of a tropical vacation (minus the luxury accommodations, food / beverages and exotic fish).
It was the perfect weekend for a trip like this, as rainy season is upon us and beach days are no longer guaranteed. The rain hasn’t been consistent yet, although about three days in a row last week we had storms overnight and randomly throughout the day. The one benefit to increased rain is cooler temperatures, most notable during my morning runs!
Turns out it’s not actually called Monkey Island – the locals don’t really have a name for it. Also, it’s inhabited by chimpanzees, not monkeys. The story is that the chimps used to be part of a German research project and when it finished they were released onto this island. All seven of us were able to take a larger boat out together – a long, slim, felucca-like boat that had a motor and about ten planks for seats.
The 15 minute trip out to the island was lovely. It was hot, but the breeze was really refreshing. As we approached the island we saw a “Danger” sign but no chimps. Before we got onto the boat we bought a lot of mangoes (or plums) to bring with us. I had thought they were our snacks. Turns out we were going to throw them at the island to lure out the chimps. It worked. Quickly several chimpanzees emerged from the woods and they went right after the fruit. It was amazing how quickly they peeled and ate them, and the mangoes looked so vivid against the animals’ dark fur!
At one point a small fishing boat got pretty close to the island and the lead chimp started shouting / squawking at it. The closest we got was about 50 yards away. After about 20 minutes of frantic picture taking and mango throwing, we sailed around the island and found a little jetty where we could ground the boat and explore. Most people went for a swim. The setting was like something out of a tropical vacation (minus the luxury accommodations, food / beverages and exotic fish).
It was the perfect weekend for a trip like this, as rainy season is upon us and beach days are no longer guaranteed. The rain hasn’t been consistent yet, although about three days in a row last week we had storms overnight and randomly throughout the day. The one benefit to increased rain is cooler temperatures, most notable during my morning runs!
2 comments:
Incredible photos! The chimps must be somewhat use to humans although I wonder if they ever swim to try and get close.
Wesleyan in the news:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/05/04/wesleyan_students_start_investment_fund/
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