People

For anyone who reads this regularly, I apologize for the downtime....I spent a lot of time in bed and on the throne the last couple days fighting something that found its way into my stomach. Since i've been posting lots of stuff on the chimps i thought today i might just have some pics of a few people around Tchimpounga. Altogether there are more than 40 full time staff so this is just a random sampling of some of the people around.

This is Celestin. He is the boss at the food magasin (its not really a store though) where we get all the fruit for our tests. Behind him you can see gregoire's gardin.


This is Godeline and Brice (with Oulengue), two of the keepers who have been helping us a lot with our tests at the nursery. They've also been helping me lots with my french and in return i'm helping with their english.


This is Guyar, a driver for JGI who does everything that involves the car. Last week he really helped tory out by getting a chemical she needed which was DHL'd from Harvard to Pointe Noire in 3 days flat. I was the first time we have ever shipped anything to Congo so it was a big success....not cheap though.


I think this is Clautaire's wife but I could be wrong. whatever. all of the congolese women spend lots of time doing each other's hair like this. Then when they talk to you they constantly smack themselves in the head and you start to wonder whats going on....they're just keeping their weaves in place.


This is John Mabato (head keeper) and Clautaire loading some fruit into the truck. there is more fruit at this place that you have ever seen. We don't eat a single piece of it.