MAHALE, TANZANIA

* Ed.note: The fall of Ntologi from alpha status was reported in the last issue (PAN,2(2): 9-11). This historic figure, as it were, came to the end of his lomg lifeunexpectedly and in a very unusual manner. Professor T. Nishida, who was atKansyana Research Station at the time reports on Ntologi's death for this issue.


The Death of Ntologi, The Unparalleled Leader of M Group

* by Toshisada NishidaKyoto University

Ntologi was found in the bush 1 km south of Kansyana Camp on the 14th of November, 1995,on the brink of death. On that day two researchers, Noriko Itoh and Hamisi Bunengwa, had been insearch of M Group chimpanzees since morning when they finally heard calls in the distance. Whenthey arrived at the site from which the calls originated, Ntologi was lying on his side on the ground,with his eyes closed. Hamisi immediately ran to the camp and notified me.

I set off and fifteen minutes later found Ntologi. He was still breathing but did not move, evenwhen surrounded by humans. He bore wounds on many parts of his body including his wrist, thethumbs of both hands, his right arm, back, head and lower lip. There were a few chimpanzees watching us from the trees above. They included Gwekulo, anadult female, and Nick, an adolescent male. There was also an adult male, Aji, nearby, whooccasionally charged Ntologi, apparently wanting to kick or slap him, and I stopped him from doingthis. Sometimes Ntologi trembled, his body shuddering roughly with each noisy inhalation, but henever once opened his eyes. We realized he was seriously injured and would be an easy victim for a leopard if left where hewas, so I decided to carry him to our camp. I asked my assistants to make a stretcher, and two longpoles, three large sisal bags and ropes were brought from camp. I pushed Ntologi onto the stretcherand he was settled on it as gently as possible.

When we tried to carry him away, Aji once again attacked and I was forced to intervene toprevent him from harming his former leader. When we finally began to head towards camp,the chimpanzees began to emit "fear calls" and continued to do so for at least four minutes (aseveryone was consumed by the task at hand, no one checked to see how long the calls continued).For me it sounded as if the chimpanzees were mourning.

We laid Ntologi in one of the rooms of "New Kuape House", the guest house for researchers.We put a generous amount of grass and herbs under the stretcher so that Ntologi would feelcomfortable. We sent one of our staff to the Tanzania National Park office at Bilenge with a messageto headquarters in Arusha, begging for a veterinarian to come to Mahale by plane. Unfortunately, thiscould not be realized. In the evening Ntologi's breathing became intermittent and I pushed on hischest, trying to assist him. Around 8:00 p.m. he recovered somewhat. I checked his condition everyhalf hour until 11:30, and he appeared stable. I began hoping that he would make it through the night.

At 3:30 a.m., my wife awakened me saying that she couldn't hear Ntologi's breathinganymore. We immediately rushed to his room where we found him, still and warm. I attempted torevive him, but it was to no avail. He was about forty years old at the time of his death.

P.S. The next morning, Mike Huffman, Noriko, my wife and I weighed Ntologi's body and foundhim to be only 38.5 kg. Evidently he had lost a lot of water overnight because the previous afternoonwe thought perhaps he weighed about 42 kg. This was an incredible loss overall considering that Iestimated he weighed 60 kg during his heyday.

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