Teeming With Wildlife

Suddenly we hear the leaves rustling high above us. The sound is caused by a large band of noisy Diana and mona monkeys. They are screeching out their alarm calls and leaping from branch to branch. A mona monkey, with its comical white-streaked face, watches us as intently as we watch it! Monkeys, chimpanzees, and birds thrive on the many fruits and nuts available in the tree canopy. One can often observe monkeys and birds noisily feeding from the same fruit tree.

There are 50 species of mammals found in Taï Park, and many of them are common to this region. Buffalo and forest elephants live here, as do bongos, bush pigs, duikers, giant forest hogs, leopards, and pygmy hippopotamuses. Among the smaller animal residents are the civet cat, the golden cat, the forest genet, the mongoose, the pangolin, and the nocturnal galago.

Our guide identifies many animal tracks, such as those of the duiker, a small antelope. In the forest there are seven species of duikers, including the rare Jentink’s, zebra, and Ogilby’s duikers. We see tracks where giant forest hogs have foraged for roots, and we inspect the habitat of the scaly, giant pangolin, an ant and termite eater. A pair had dug themselves a large hole in the forest floor with two chambers. These underground chambers are up to 130 feet [40 m] long and 15 feet [5 m] deep. The pangolin feeds at night, roaming many miles and then returning home just before dawn. It rips open termite nests with its rakelike claws and uses its sticky tongue to extract the insects.

Our guide locates a band of chimpanzees that range in this eight-square-mile [20 sq km] area. There are more than 2,000 chimpanzees in the park. We had heard that they use stones or branches that they carry with them to crack nuts. We are thrilled when we spot a chimp sitting on the forest floor about 20 feet [5 m] from us, banging away at a nutshell with a branch.

On the riverbank are more animal tracks, including those of the pygmy hippopotamus​—a miniature version of the common hippopotamus. This animal is about the size of a large pig. The pygmy hippopotamus spends less time in the water than its larger cousin and never travels in a herd. It can be found only in West Africa. We also sight a Nile monitor lizard, which is a large dappled lizard similar to a crocodile but much smaller. There are 3 species of crocodiles found here along with 34 species of snakes, many varieties of lizards, and a vibrant insect population​—all flourishing in the forest. Many of the insects have yet to be identified.

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Elephant calf

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African golden cat

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Bay duiker

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Zebra duiker

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African buffalo

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Long-tailed pangolin

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Pygmy hippopotamus

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Tree frog

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Nile monitor lizard

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Dark mongoose

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Mona monkey

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Western red colobus

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Chimpanzee

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Lesser white-nosed monkey

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Leopard

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Bush pig

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African civet