The tablets that we were hoping to get, which contain a natural aggression suppressant are not available in India yet, and cost 1 pound per tablet in G.B. Our hopes of getting monkeys together who are now too aggressive to share a pen, have been dashed, unless the price comes down. Zoo’s who now commonly use them to achieve harmony among many species, can of course afford this with their entry prices, with even the small profit making animal collections in England charging visitors 10 pounds or more. Here unfortunately, any English tourist for this a purely charitable, for the benefit not exploitation of animals venture, rarely ever gives a donation of more than one hundred rupees (100 rupees =87 pence).
Major, the new Langur baby is still doing well, and we hope that when our volunteers return after X-mas we will be able to progress with him meeting Puck and Phooka, our last years two male babies, and get a collar on him too.
Ruby, our most disturbed female macaque, has decided baby Dennis is her errant son. Dennis is not sure he likes the idea as although she cuddles and grooms him she also stands for no nonsense, unlike us humans who are too soft on him. She won’t allow him to snatch food from her, or play rough, both of these and many more bad manners and habits Dennis freely indulges in with us! At present Dennis is spending much of the day with Ruby and Tilly, who also loves to play with him. There is no doubt that when let back out to torment us, he is very pleased. Ella and Evie are also learning to cope without a mum for longer periods during the day. The surprise here had been Ella. Although much younger and thought by us to be more clingy, Evie has adjusted very well, and after a short cry time she plays happily with Major and Shaylee . Ella however has proved to be the wimp and a sissy, and leaving her in the pen with the other babies is like first taking a toddler to nursery school. She nearly always throws a ‘hissy fit’, shrieking at the parting and demanding a bottle, anything to prevent the parting. Like a toddler if I sit in the “classroom” however, she plays happily with the other babies. When I do manage to get out, she eventually gives up and plays happily until she spots someone who might rescue her, and then she puts on the full show on again! Hopefully she will tire of her tantrums, but for now it is a traumatic experience for mother and a baby!
Another exotic bird species has taken up residence in the garden, the Asian Paradise Fly Catcher. These startling birds, with long white trailing tail feathers have been attracted by the garden sprinklers which obviously attract the flying insects which they live on. Usually only rarely glimpsed in the wilder forest areas, we are lucky to now see them regularly flitting round the garden.
