Today I noticed a new type of fruit that the baboons are eating. I wanted to get a sample so I could identify it back at camp. I was with my scout George and I told him this. We found a tree with the small yellow fruits, although the branches were many meters above the ground. I told Gorge that we would find a better tree where we could reach a branch. As I was saying this George ducked into the Mushitu and began to climb a nearby tree. All that was running through my mind was that George was going to fall and get hurt. He was balancing on a thin tree trunk. As I told him to be careful he was kicking off his rubber boots and socks. He wrapped his feet around the trunk and reached the tree and got a sample. He came down to the ground safely. I know that I do not have the dexterity or the skill to do that. I suppose working as a scout for almost 20 years, one learns how to live and survive in the bush.
The moral of this story? We are all primates and have the abilities to do things with our nimble hands and fingers that we find hard to imagine. For most of us growing up in an urban environment I think we lose touch with this.
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