Lofty mountains that pierce the clouds and reach to dizzying heights may appear to
us humans as coldly majestic, lonely, even forbidding. Yet to a great variety of
wildlife they constitute home. Some of these creatures would never think of
descending to lower altitudes. And to see them in a zoo, even if they could long
survive such a humiliating experience, one could gain no realistic idea of their way
of life among peaks and chasms.
Some of these creatures are not very familiar to us, while the names of others
have almost become household words. For example, have you heard of the nyala,
with its spiral horns measuring up to forty-four inches in length? It was discovered
in 1908 at 9,000 feet in the mountains of South Abyssinia. On the other hand, who
has not heard of the chinchilla? The mountain variety lives at an altitude of

Up at those heights, too, there are birds that soar high and make their nests in
unapproachable places. There are birds of great variety, such as hawks, eagles, the
black duck, slender-billed chestnut-winged starlings and a host of others. Can we
take a closer look at some of these dwellers in lofty penthouses without risking life
and limb? Yes, we can, for others have clambered up to the giddy heights and
recorded their firsthand observations for our benefit.
Let?s start with the mountain gorilla, the giant ape discovered in the higher
levels of the West African forests in 1847. This creature?s reported warlikeness, its
tremendous strength and the remoteness of its habitation have stirred man?s
imagination and posed something of a mystery, arousing popular and scientific
interest.
The African Primate Expedition set out in February 1959 to clear up the
mystery. Gaining their objective involved roaming through the forests and climbing
mist-shrouded mountains. Finally, in January 1961 they were on the home ground
of the mountain gorilla, whose total population is said to be between 5,000 and
15,000. During the 466 hours they spent in full view of these mighty creatures a
great deal was learned and recorded.
All together, members of the expedition had opportunity to study them in 314
separate encounters. Imagine being approached to within fifteen feet by one of these
huge beasts?with nothing to bar his nearer approach! That was the experience of
one member of the visiting group.
These big fellows rise early, about 6 a.m., and retire at about 6 p.m. Breakfast
lasts for perhaps a couple of hours, their massive bodies moving from snack to snack.
From about 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. they lounge around. Again, they resume the search for
food?food in much greater variety than any zoo would be likely to provide.
of 100 food plants were collected in various study areas?by no means a
monotonous diet!
The observers noted that these creatures have a total of some twenty-two
distinct utterances or vocalizations, eight of them occurring quite frequently. There
is the soft grumbling sound?sure sign of the contented ape. A series of abrupt grunts
serve to keep the group together. A harsh scream may sound as if murder is being
committed. It is most likely merely a quarrel with lots of bluff. A high screech means
some infant ape is afraid he is being left behind. Mother will doubtless respond right
away.
But what about the gorilla?s notorious chest-beating display? For that you will
need patience, for it happens infrequently. But when it does get under way, you are
in for a real show! It starts with a series of hoots, following which the animal, hooting
at a fast tempo, rises on its hind legs like a mountain of hair, throws some plant into
the air, kicks up one leg and at the climax beats its massive chest with cupped hands
several times. Then he runs sideways, slapping and tearing at the vegetation, finally
thumping the ground with heavy palm. The chest beats have been recorded; his roars
of high intensity are probably the most explosive sound in all the animal kingdom!
A closer look at these powerful brutes weighing up to six hundred pounds
reveals that in sight, hearing and smell their powers are about the same as those of a
human. Almost always they move about on all fours. The farthest any one of them
was seen to walk erect was sixty feet. Interestingly, too, during all the hours of
observation, not once was a gorilla seen using any kind of tool.
The younger members of the group play a variety of games?King of the
Mountain, Follow the Leader, and running, climbing, sliding and swinging games.
They lead relatively peaceful lives. Seldom are they heard quarrelling.
of 100 food plants were collected in various study areas?by no means a
monotonous diet!
The observers noted that these creatures have a total of some twenty-two
distinct utterances or vocalizations, eight of them occurring quite frequently. There
is the soft grumbling sound?sure sign of the contented ape. A series of abrupt grunts
serve to keep the group together. A harsh scream may sound as if murder is being
committed. It is most likely merely a quarrel with lots of bluff. A high screech means
some infant ape is afraid he is being left behind. Mother will doubtless respond right
away.
But what about the gorilla?s notorious chest-beating display? For that you will
need patience, for it happens infrequently. But when it does get under way, you are
in for a real show! It starts with a series of hoots, following which the animal, hooting
at a fast tempo, rises on its hind legs like a mountain of hair, throws some plant into
the air, kicks up one leg and at the climax beats its massive chest with cupped hands
several times. Then he runs sideways, slapping and tearing at the vegetation, finally
thumping the ground with heavy palm. The chest beats have been recorded; his roars
of high intensity are probably the most explosive sound in all the animal kingdom!
A closer look at these powerful brutes weighing up to six hundred pounds
reveals that in sight, hearing and smell their powers are about the same as those of a
human. Almost always they move about on all fours. The farthest any one of them
was seen to walk erect was sixty feet. Interestingly, too, during all the hours of
observation, not once was a gorilla seen using any kind of tool.
The younger members of the group play a variety of games?King of the
Mountain, Follow the Leader, and running, climbing, sliding and swinging games.
They lead relatively peaceful lives. Seldom are they heard quarrelling.
is one of their leading forms of relaxation. They will stretch out on their backs, hairy
chests exposed to the warm rays. Whenever rain comes, a tree provides shelter, or
they may just sit hunched over in the open, waiting patiently for the storm to pass.
Now, through the records of mountaineer naturalists, let us take a look at the
mountain camels, in their own habitat, high up in the South American Andes, in the
stony deserts or punas. The vicuna is wild, greatly prized for his fur, while the llama
(pronounced lyah?mah in Spanish) is domesticated, a genuine ship of the desert.
They look quite different from the creature we are used to calling ?camel,? yet both
are true camels.
The llama is primarily a beast of burden, but a unique burden-bearer, for he
can carry heavy loads even in the ratified air of mountain heights, often below zero
and amid battering winds and howling blizzards. However, he will not accept one
ounce more load than he wishes to carry. Llamas grow fat and sleek up on those
barren slopes, where not a blade of grass can be seen, and where only bare rock and
sand appear.
But how do they survive? Here is where their mountaineering ability comes
into play! They seek out delicious morsels (that is, to them) such as reindeer moss,
lichen and cacti, getting them on incredibly precipitous pastures.
The llama has some special equipment, too, and he needs it, for some of the
great hunters of the animal world stalk him?the mountain lion and the jaguar. Soft,
padded, almost clawlike toes permit him to adhere to impossibly steep surfaces as
though he had suction cups for feet. The feet themselves, very loosely jointed at the
hocks, often appear dislocated as they adjust to every angle and crevice.
A common but amazing sight is a herd of llamas grazing on seemingly bare
rock, so steep that even the native Indian cannot find a toehold! Still another thrilling,
sight is provided when a lone llama is traversing bare ledges or walking across the
glass-smooth ice of a glacier a thousand feet above some rushing torrent. One
misstep, it would seem, could plunge the creature down into an abysmal canyon.
The vicuna, on the other hand, is not herded. It is noted for its wild, lightninglike movements and prodigious leaps. Identify and briefly explain the figures in the composition