I was going through some past photos from Costa Rica and finally managed to get through all of the monkey shots. There are so many they could have typed a novel.
Shooting in the morning is abnormally quiet, the jungle cricket party winds down in the very early morning. The true party animals of the jungle ramp up again every night with the very same intensity and ominous hum which I seem to want to describe as audible sandpaper.
The little furry humanoids seem to arrive en masse, they travel in groups across the canopy with a very different view of the world. From the bottom, I see only shoots of sunlight reaching the fine dirt, fallen leaves and fruit carouses. The trees are backlit in the rising sun that is now winning over darkness but only just so from where I am.
More leaves fall as they rub together, branches bend but rarely snap as the social group of the Capuchin approaches. Their movements are surprisingly human like in their mannerisms yet have the grace and poise you’d expect from a wild tree critter. They are as outwardly curious as I am, always relaxed and happy to come down and pose for a quick photo before searching the canopy for unopened Cacao fruit.
The locals call them cappuccinos on account of their colouring but I think a metaphor as well.
Who wouldn’t like to spend their time in the treetops of the Costa Rican jungle, hanging around with friends and be on a strict diet of chocolate fruit?
Another prominent species is the howler monkey. I hear many first time visitors to Costa Rica mistake the howler’s calls for a deadly wild animal and run for cover. If I had to put it into words, it sounds like a didgeridoo player learning to play the tuba, a deeply inhaled guttural maneuver used to keep howler males away. Although mostly black blobs especially in low light, you can catch some beautiful colouring from time to time.
