Where is PS?

“Don’t bother coming home if you don’t find them,” Guillaume’s parting words to Wichian and I as we set off to search for langur group PS. We haven’t located the group for three full days now. We had a beautiful breezy afternoon for searching, but it still gets tiring walking trail after trail after trail. I was a walking zombie in the morning. For the first hours or so as we waited for the sunrise and slowly (painfully slow) walked in search of PS, my eyes fluttered shut at every stopping point. Heavy. I couldn’t manage to jolt myself awake. Eventually at 7:30 at trail Tcat 350m we heard two adult males double barking at each other: one about 150m to the NE and one about 120m to the SW. Now, at least we had a target area. But, despite walking around all morning, for six hours, still no PS. Wichian turned to me multiple times throughout the day, “Kate, I think we’re sleeping in the forest tonight!”

10 Jan 04

On another note, out of the blue, just this month, group PB large has become a good group. Prior to December I had only encountered the group maybe twice for a substantial chunk of time – a handful of encounters among all of us. Semi-habituated group of about 19 individuals (nine adult females, one adult male, one juvenile male, six infant II’s, and two infant I’s (meaning they are still orange in color)). I’ve spent a couple of days this month following them all day at a range similar to habituated groups (< 30m). At times we were directly below them chatting and they didn’t seem bothered. Only when we generated loud crashes walking through leaves did they peer cautiously and take notice. No sneaking away on their part, only occasional whup, whup warning hoots if they were disturbed by us focusing the binoculars on them for too long. Unfortunately, throughout the day today, one-tone, grey light offered poor clarity for attempts at drawing/identifying individuals. I appreciated the experience of the unique sound of falling seedpods from a feeding langur group. I know it in my sleep. I know I’d better wake up and follow the moving group if I cease to hear it.

I can’t believe that I will be going home so soon (I leave on Feb. 2)! Some part of me is hoping the month will pass quickly because I am anxious to get home and see my family and friends, yet I know I will miss Phu Kheio terribly. It is difficult to imagine that I may never see Wichian or Lek again (the rangers I work with daily). What I really need is a month at home and then to return to Thailand. Very mixed emotions.