howler monkeys

 

 

our Costa Rica hosts took

us to their ranch in the

jungle for a weekend

 

a ranch house on a small island

a river running around each side

a swinging wooden bridge

crossed the river to the house

 

we walked, swaying across the bridge

carrying our things from the car

 

suddenly we heard a loud screaming

sound which sounded like an elephant

 

the host laughed and said the sound

was from the leader of a family

of howler monkeys

 

within seconds the whole family

of about 12 were in the trees above us

they stopped climbing through

the trees and stared down on us

 

one was a larger black male

the other adults were female

about six babies clung to their mothers

they also staring down

 

they showed no fear

our hosts had named the

large black male “Osama”

after the Afghanistan leader

 

they explained that he would not allow

other males into his haram

he would kill off male babies

when they were born

 

we observed each other for awhile

then “Osama” gave a loud call

and the females followed him

away through the trees.

 

Our host told us that the family

would come back through the trees

about 5:00 in the morning and

shower the ranch’s tin roof with

green mangoes

 

we awoke to the horrible

sound of green mangoes

bombarding the tin room

 

little grandma came to our door

hurry, hurry we will go see them

 

by the time we got out into

the yard they had made their way

to the large tree hanging over the bridge

 

we walked onto the bridge and I

started making a screeching

sound to see if they would react

 

the females with babies on

their backs started coming down

the tree closer to me, curious

about the sound I made

 

they all gathered close

above me as I stood on the bridge

 

I did not see Osama getting nearer as well

 

suddenly monkey urine and feces

plopped down on the bridge

barely missing me

 

I looked up and he was right above me

with his glistening white gonads

shinning from within the black fur

 

it looked like they had been

dipped into gloss white latex paint

 

Osama gave a loud angry cry

all the females and babies

immediately started following him

up and through the trees

 

grandma started laughing

 

he was jealous of you

he protects his harem and

does not want another male competitor

 

she then told about a time when

her son brought his wife to the ranch

he was on the bridge snuggling with his wife

and Osama jumped down from

the tree and bit him on the cheek.

 

The moral is don’t flirt with

a male howler monkey’s harem