SMALL PACKAGES
by Wally Van Sickle

Running and springing from limb to limb like mini kangaroos in high speed motion, a troop of squirrel monkeys (Saimiri oerstedii) moves through the lower canopy of Panama’s tropical forest. High-pitched whistles announce their impending arrival. Remnant patches of lowland forest on the country’s west coast still provide a home to these highly endangered primates. Troops usually contain between 10 and 60 animals and members keep track of each other with frequent vocalizations. It is early morning and after a restful evening in a favorite roosting tree the group is heading for a large fig tree filled with fruits.

With hands not much bigger than a human fingernail, one tiny squirrel monkey clutches to his mother’s back while squeezing her orange hair between tiny fingers and opposable thumb. Dark eyes on their white faces remain wary of snakes and avian predators. The troop moves almost effortlessly through the dense jungle.

Opportunistic hunting takes place along the way. Grasshoppers, katydids, spiders, cockroaches, moths, and beetles are all fair game for this hungry bunch of tiny primates and provide much needed protein. Epiphytic plants conceal arthropods and tiny hands probe the tree-clinging plants hoping to capture the morning meal. Eventually the troop arrives at the grand fig tree and settles in for the morning feast.

GEMINIS ABRIL VARGAS

Dynamite comes in small packages. Geminis Abril Vargas is no exception. This tiny superwoman is one persistent field biologist. During the initial phase of her field study she often walked fifteen miles a day in the tropical heat of lowland Panama. Three months after she began her thesis research she discovered her first troop of squirrel monkeys. Her major professor thought her project was logistically impossible. She proved otherwise.

I recently had the privilege of joining her for a day in the field. We began our day early with a forty-minute bus ride from David, Panama, into the countryside. We then walked several miles of backcountry road to a trail leading between numerous cattle pastures. Geminis explained to me how the entire area once rose tall with tropical forest. Baru National Park, an extinct volcano, dominated the distant skyline. As the sun began to rise, so did the heat.

Geminis picked up a rock and a stick as we approached a ranch house. She said, “A bad dog lives here.” The dog soon arrived and snarled but quickly got the picture when superwoman raised her stick. We passed and continued walking for several miles until we arrived at the river Quebrada Honda. Her cell phone rang and her boyfriend, a young herpetologist, notified us he would be joining us farther down river. We hiked for hours searching for the monkeys. She explained where they et, where they sleep, and what fruits they like. Her enthusiasm for her work was very apparent and although we never found the monkeys that day, I left thinkingthat Geminis may be the next Jane Goodall!

After four years of coursework at the Universidad Autonoma de Chiriqui and over a year’s work in the field, Geminis is in the writing stage of her thesis. She is also applying to graduate schools in Germany and one day hopes to play a significant role in creating protected areas for primates.

HOW IDEA WILD MADE A DIFFERENCE

The total population estimate for squirrel monkeys in Panama is now less than 2,500. Only one area with 50 to 60 animals has any official protection. The rest of the animals are scattered in fragmented strips along riparian corridors. The remaining 97 percent has been deforested and turned into cattle pasture. Without people like Geminis pushing for their conservation, long-term survival for squirrel monkeys in Panama is tenuous at best.

Geminis asked IDEA WILD for a camera and telephoto lens. She used the equipment to determine troop composition at different times of the year and their basic diet, and to create slides for presentations. In addition, photos illustrate the monkey’s role in seed dispersal, control of insect pests, and many interesting behaviors. Additionally, Geminis teaches children attending rural schools about local plants and animals, biodiversity, ecosystems, their roles in conservation, and, of course, everything about squirrel monkeys in Panama.

IDEA WILD often receives requests for camera equipment, binoculars, and camping gear and many donors have sent us this type of equipment in the past. If you have some of these items you no longer use, you can make a difference by sending them to IDEA WILD. Larry and Elaine Ebbert proudly sponsored Geminis’ project by providing a used Nikon 35mm camera with telephoto lens and carrying case. As with most IDEA WILD projects the equipment is recycled when the initial project ends. Numerous other biologists are currently making use of the camera equipment documenting the biological wealth of western Panama.

Project Cost $2,030

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