Physical Anthropology—Zoo Field Trip

Mary Eng

1-23-10

1.Genus, species, fact

American monkeys: (Cebus Capucinus) Capuchin New World monkeys diurnal and arboreal;

predated by other animals including jaguar and cougar

Black-handed spider monkey, New World monkey prehensile tail (Attelys Geoffroii) found in
Honduras Nicaragua and Belize

African monkeys: Kikuyu colobus monkey (Colobus Guereza Kikuyuensis); plumed tails, near

absent thumbs hence the Greek “colobus” for docked or mutilated; Nigeria, Ethiopia; habitat

threatened by timber industry

Asian monkeys: Francois's Langur: (Trachypithicus Francoisi) from Southeast Asia are

endangered yet hunted for medicinal ingredients; both arboreal and ground-dwelling; eat leaves

and have special stomachs for breaking down cellulose

2.most numerous at the LA Zoo: chimps

3.nocturnal primates

(Nycticebus Coucang) Slow Loris, South China, Northern India, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam,

Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, the Philipines, Indonesia

4.dietary specialists

Western Lowland Gorilla (Gorilla Gorilla) herbivore subtropical and tropical Africa; eat

bamboo, thistles, wild celery, fruit

Coquerel's Sifaka (Propithecus Verreaux Coquerli) herbivorous lemur from Madagascar;

folivorous diet of leaves primarily some bark and fruit; they choose leaves with lower tannin

content

5.locomotor habits: at least one species at the zoo with pattern:

terrestrial quadrupedalism: lemur

knuckle walking: gorilla

Brachiation: chimpanzee, orangutan, gibbon

Arboreal quadrupedalism: lemur, monkeys

Vertical clinging and leaping: lemurs

6.observation essay

The small capuchin monkeys were in a group of 5 or 6 inside a mesh cage raised from the human

sight line.. They followed each other around in spastic high energy tumbling balls almost

quicker than the eye could see. For all the primates they seemed the most happy. The

constructed hammock and entwining vines mimicked vines for their climbing abilities which

included bracchiated swinging, arboreal quadrapedalism, and group interaction. It is perhaps

because of their social activities they seemed the least distressed. As they tumbled and played in

their tiny pen high above the human onlookers, they did not show any signs of annoyance, fear,

or unhappiness. At a few times one might cling to the mesh of the cash and look at the humans,
but overall they seemed unconcerned. I wonder if the high activity was characteristic of youth or

occurs at any age.

The golden howler, female of the black howlers, in the neighboring cage had an entirely different

style, displaying a profound lethargy and disinterest in movement. She seemed caged with only

one other of her kind and showed no lively social interest. The keepers gave her a pseudo-

arboreal house to hang out in. To this house she retreated only to return for a snack of carrot or

sweat potato which she obtained in the most graceful manner by using her grasping tail to hold
on to a faux branch while bending to grasp the food. In contrast to the high-spirited monkeys,

she and her friend were slower and less active. They demonstrated their arboreal quadrupedalism

and sexually dimorphic color differences, the female taking a golden hue.

I noted the different habitats provided by zookeepers to imitate the natural environment based on

the projected activity range of the different species.

I found next a chimp in isolation in a large playpen at the top of a flight of the stairs. Ancient

dilapidated placards described the high intelligence of chimps and their delight at having new

intellectual challenges. Illustrations of happy playing chimps demonstrated the principle of the

keepers' desire to keep the chimps vibrant and mentally stimulated. The solitary chimp inside

did not seem so amused. I and another human mused about the fate and circumstances of the

solitary chimp. Was it sick? Or being punished? Was it an accident that she was all alone? She

made long slow strides across some of the jungle gym type apparatus, but without much

enthusiasm. She then began to eat her own feces directly upon production and stride back and

forth across the base of the pen while people hooted at her. She went to the far side of the pen

and stared out at the people. She then grabbed her blanket---a thick stuffed bedspread---and

dragged it across the floor with her. She loped around a little, demonstrating knuckle walking.

She then climbed down the stairs to the base of the storage facility as if to hide. She returned up
the stairs and covered herself in the blanket and stared at the onlookers. As she pulled it over her

head entirely, her body language seemed to clearly say she wanted to hide, get away, or have a

little privacy and comfort. Then she settled in for a nap on the concrete, swaddled in the

blanket. Crowds continued to pile up and make noisy calls as she attempted to rest.

I found next the chimps on their artificial mountainside. One was missing huge chunks of hair

on his back. A sign said that staff knew about the injury. The social dynamics of the group were

subtle but pronounced. About seven congregated in plain view, with most of them at the
entrance of a cave with their backs turned on their audience. One smaller female sat at the front

line directly looking at the people. She seemed to display the most confidence and interest. She

seemed to be like the intraspecies communicator emissary who could negotiate the affair with

her eye contact, calm confident gaze and lack of fear. Her interest in the humans seemed calm

but sincere. Another primate, an older male, was primarily occupied with what seemed to be

eating ants off the side of the cave. Nearly all had their arms folded and backs turned or semi-

turned as if to indicate their boredom and disinterest. I wonder if this is a posture learned from

humans or something they might naturally do. They were all impressively sedentary, which I

could not tell if it was the lack of range that made them so inclined, or merely a resting phase

that I stumbled upon. Slowly they began to move around. The confident young female climbed

to the top of a tree trunk. She seemed to make contact with people on the other side who were

on a balcony of sorts that crossed the pen from the other side. A male suitor followed her and

proceeded to inspect her. She was very calm and allowed him to both stare and touch her in

plain view of all the humans. In reaction, another male climbed to the top of the cave where he

rose to display the breadth of his shoulders in view of the female. He then watched with interest

and his competitive display was neither extreme nor too impassioned. The female seemed

vastly indifferent. The others sat by indifferently with arms folded and backs mostly or partially

turned away from the humans.

They seemed overall quite sedentary and I wondered if this was a result of the lack of stimulation

in their little landscape. I wonder also how their diet affects their behavior, or if problematic

chimps are selected out, leaving only the well behaved and calm in the group to remain.

Other animal behavior I found interesting was the snow leopard who very clearly turned his back

on the people and prickled his hair.

The pen for the giraffes seemed quite small for their size.

The orangutans were not available. It was interesting to read the placard about oil palm

plantations and the threat orangutans face from deforestation.

Visiting the zoo reminded me of a surprising experience I had involving the Rhesus Macaque, a

popular animal for animal research. When I was in Portland Oregon, a friend who worked for

OHSU unwittingly took me by the OHSU macaque pen. He did not know how well I like

animals. We climbed to the top of a platform. It was my very first time as an adult to see non-

human primates. As a child I found zoos to be traumatizing. I remember being bewildered at the

at the Washington D.C. Zoo. Even as a child I could see that the gorillas behind plexiglass were

in obvious distress. The gorillas banged on the glass and lumbered around as though depressed.

I thought adults were not so smart for thinking they were entertaining me, because it was like a

nightmare.

The macaques (maybe fifty in number or more) were in a corrugated metal pen at least 100x100

feet, with piles of bananas around and wheels to run on. There were little huts to hide in. It was

raining heavily and very muddy. The mothers held their babies protectively as if they were

afraid I would take their young. Some actively called out or made demonstration of aggression

or fear. Some were oblivious. I began to imitate their speech sound (a clicking sound) and

focused on communicating solacing tones and energy. Some began to put their fingers at and
underneath the base of the corrugated metal. They started tapping and banging on the metal.

When we walked down the platform stairs and along the opposite side of the compound, they put

their fingers underneath the wall following the sounds of us walking. There fingertips were

reaching out and others continued banging on the walls. Obviously they desired release. I kept

talking sympathetically to them, and I think we very clearly communicated quite a lot of

information.

I began to the research what types of tests are run there and what alternatives are available. The

test most commonly cited by opponents is nicotine injection for pregnant mothers. The last I
heard, the suburb where the facility was besieged by persistent activists and irritated at the stench

so much so that neighbors united against the nuisance factor of it. So plans were being made to

take the primate lab further out from the city. A fellow, Matt Rossel of (non-violent group) In

Defense of Animals had worked undercover for OHSU as a lab tech following a stint undercover

at a mink farm. I heard him speaking one day on the radio about the stresses on the legs and feet

of circus elephants.

I felt strangely privileged to see the macaques.

I then found lots of disturbing footage from labs in Europe and hubbub regarding the Huntington

Labs, the Shac 7, and the stress disorders primates undergo. This was 2006. The Patriot Act had

recently been passed and with it what is known as the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, which

effectively makes information distribution criminal. Currently some kids are being hassled over

a flyer, the premise being that disseminating information that might disrupt an animal enterprise

is a terrorist activity---this will be a very interesting new area for human rights law, free speech,

and animal law. The international activist web ring “Indymedia” was at that time put in the

FBI's terrorist watch group. This Portland version of the website has a very active animal page

regarding fur store protests and OHSU primate testing activism.

I remember one day hearing of a suicide of animal activist in jail that was thought to be a

murder.
Portland's activist community is quite vibrant, with law students (many enviro law from Lewis

and Clark) filming all activist activities for future litigation in the event of police brutality. A

nice foundation, The Northwest Center for Constitutional Law was established after a $800,000

suit victory regarding a 2003 George Bush visit protest at which police used pepper spray in a

baby's face.