Three Notes from Chasing Chimps in Semliki

Unscientific field notes from chimp tracking, 1998

Photo by Tengyart on Unsplash

Semliki Note #1 — Data

Up early with the bats in a soft rain, I’m walking down a steep path to the climate station we’ve set up at the river. The forest is silent except for some restless insects and one or two birds.

I raise the kerosene lantern high to take the readings of temperature and humidity. Droplets of water hiss as …