Elusive Congo Peacock found by film-maker Alan Root

1 Pages·1994·0.51 MB·

by  John H Fanshawe

References 3. Serle, W. 1954. A second contribution to the
1. Collar, N.J and Stuart, S.N. 1985. Threatenedbirds ornithology of the British Cameroons. Ibis96: 47-
ofAfrica and related islands. Cambridge, ICBP/ 80.
IUCN. 4. Prigogine, A. 1984. Note sur deux gladiateus
2. Reichenow, A. 1894. Zue Vogelfauna von (Malaconotus). Gerfaut74: 75-81.
Kamerun. Zweiter Nachtrag. J. Om. 42: 29-43. 5. Stuart, S.N. eds 1986. Conservation ofCameroon
Montane Forests. Cambridge, ICBP.
Flat2, 366AylestoneRoad LeicesterLE2 8BL, UK
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Elusive Congo Peacock found by film-maker Alan Root
John H. Fanshawe
n a recent letter, Alan Root, well known for his andIgotagreatlookathimashescuttledoff,lowand
I
spectacularfilms ofEastAfrican wildlife, vividly leaningforwardlikeacockpheasant.”
describes hissearch forthe Congo PeacockAfropavo “I raced back to the. hunters, yelling with excite-
congoensis, oneofmanyelusiveanimalshe hasbeen ment,andgaveagreatdemonstrationofwhathappens
seekingtocaptureonfilmforaseriesontheecologyof toaEuropeanwho’sbeentoolonginthetropics. They
CongoBasinforests. allthoughtI’dbeenattackedandgrabbedtheirspears
Hewrites, “GilesThornton[AlanRoot’sassistant] tocometomyaid!”
tookamotorbiketwodaysdownatrackthat,30years “Thepeacockdoesnotappeartoberareinthearea
ago,wastheroadtoOpienge, 120milessouth-westof weoperatedin. Iwaswearingafeatherinmyhatthat
Epulu. There he clearedanoldmissionairstripandI Don[Turner]gotfromtheNewYorkZooandgaveme
thenflewinthe 180[Cessnalightplane]withsupplies forluck;itwasinstantlyrecognisedbythepeoplethere,
andanotherpiki[motorcycle]. We rodethe bikes for andwe knowthat two birdswere trapped andeaten
anotherlongdayonforesttrailstotheLoyariveronthe within a 50km radius in the three months we were
parkboundary,andthenwalkedfortwodaysintothe there.”
park, wherewesetupabasecamp. Thehunterswe “IalsohavefilmofbothPlumedandBlackGuinea-
tookwithusassureduswewouldhearpeacockswhen fowl coming to eat termites spilling from an arboreal
theywent to roost, but, though we spent many eve- nesttornopenbyaLong-tailedPangolin-thisisgoing
nings sitting on ridge tops we did not...perhaps be- tobeaflickforaficionados!! Otherinterestingdickies
causeitwasrainingmostdays?Wedidfindlotsofsigns, seennestinghavebeenWhite-crestedHornbill Tockus
scratch marks where they had been feeding, albocristatus, Red-billed DwarfHornbill T. camurus,
tracks...(they could have been guineafowl), but then andBlackWattledHornbillCeratogymnaatrata,Grey-
wefounddustbathscontainingmaleandfemalepea- throated Rail Canirallus oculeus and Spot-breasted
cockfeathers. Itwaswonderfulforest, fullofallsorts Ibis Bostrychia rara."
of fruiting trees, and signs everywhere of Elephant, Alan has also succeeded in finding some rarely
Chimps, GorillasandOkapi.” seenmammalsincluding;“. .theFishingGenet,known
.
“On about the tenth day [4 September 1993], I onlyfromaboutadozenskins...andIhavesomegreat
walkedoffonmyownforaboutakilometre, founda filmofthemfishing, andWaterChevrotain, themixed
placewheretheforestfloorwasclear,andIhadagood, uppig-antelope,thatwehavediscovereddoesnotjust
longview,andsatonastumptowatch. Afteracouple swimanddive,butwalksaboutonthebottomofrivers
ofhours,Iheardsomethingrustlingtheleaf-litterabout like a hippo...I have film ofone walking, eyes open,
thirtyyardsaway. Itturnedouttobeasquirrel, andI through a school of fish. We also got film of Poto-
watched itjumpupfromtheforestfloorontoafallen mogale, thegiantotter-shrew.”
log...thatshouldhavebeentheendoftheleafnoise,but It’s a great story and, in a subsequent letter, Alan
itwasstillgoingon...Iraisedmyheadfromthebinocu- reportsthattherainforestfilmshouldbesetforshowing
larstogetawideview, andthemovementspookeda on Independent Television sometime in 1995- The
male peacock, who had been hiddenby a fallentree editorswillendeavourtopublishadvancewarningof
exceptforhishead. Hebroke,butIhadmybinsright thedetails. ®
therealreadyandIfollowedthatwonderful headand
crestasheran, andhecameoutfrombehindthetree c/o BirdLife International. Wellbrook Court, Girton
Road Cambridge CB3‘0NA
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Discoveries BullABC Vol 1 No 1 -27