Bradette

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February 24-29, 2012, South Africa
Read the main page for Sea Monkey Safari to see details on where Bradette's been lately. Below are a few photos from her journey:

 

In Cape Town, South Africa, Bradette posses with me, Julian Saunders, Shirley Strum, Kirsten Wimberger, and Larissa Swedell (and some random guy on the wall who we thought would look good in the photo.)           






At the Cape of Good Hope.




And at Buffels Bay with the Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus).

Above: with the Big Tree in the forests of Hogsback and at right: at "The Edge" in Hogsback, South Africa.









February 13-17, 2012, Ghana
Along the coast of Ghana, Bradette gets the opportunity to see some of her distant relatives (coconut palms)!

Bradette, David Osei, and Katherine Silenga, pose next to a massive tree in the Ankasa Conservation Area, Ghana. Kathy and David work with WAPCA, the West African Primate Conservation Action. Kathy is the Country Coordinator and David has recently been statioined in the western part of the country for his work. He'll join me at the Pre-Congress Training Program of IPS in Mexico (August)!

Bradette with a Spanish student (name missing?), me, David Osei, Rob Horwich, Kathy Silenga, and a Roloway Monkey - at the Endangered Species Breeding Centre of Accra Zoo.


Bradette almost lost her hat to this White-naped Mangabey (Cercocebus atys lunulatus).






February 2, 2012, Tupé Reserve, outside Manaus, Brazil

We travelled to Tupe Reserve, field site of Jefferson Barros who studies Pied Tamarins (Saguinus bicolor) via radio-telemetry. We're pictured here at Tupe with Jefferson and his Field Assistant, Baru.

January 31,  2012, Manaus, Brazil

Bradette visits the Universidad Federal do Amazonas (UFAM) and meets the director a the Pied Tamarin (Saquinus bicolor) project, Marcelo Gordo, and Pied Tamarin student Jefferson Barros. Then she met their Red-faced Black Spider Monkeys (Ateles paniscus)!

She also visited INPA (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas) where she met this sweet little girl from an indigenous tribe. (Will fill in name later from notes.)


January 24, 2012, Roseau, Dominica


Whale and dolphin watching off the coast of Dominica!








January 19, 2012, Nassau, Bahamas

 Relaxing on the beach in Nassau.....

Bradette found some relatives on sale at the market in Nassau. This kind lady allowed us to take the photo...in exchange for a little purchase.




BRADETTE - THE ASP COCONUT MONKEY

Many primatologists (well many members of the American Society of Primatologists ....or maybe just a handful of conservation-minded ASP members) know about the almost decade-long tradition of "Bradette" the ASP Conservation Coconut Monkey.

It all started in 2002 when the ASP meeting was hosted in Oklahoma City by yours truly. We held the closing banquet at the Western Heritage Museum (aka "Cowboy Hall of Fame") and needed something to decorate the banquet tables. What goes better with a cowboy/western theme mixed with primatologists than coconut monkeys and bananas as centerpieces? I turned to eBay for help and acquired as many of the little darlings as possible. They were a big hit. Or at least I want to believe this.

A couple of the centerpieces were autographed by founding ASP members and auctioned off for the Conservation Fund. A couple of others were used as footballs (and didn't survive). But one lucky lady was taken by two adventurous primatologists (Gabriele Lubach and Julie Worlein) who rented a van and drove from OKC back to Washington state. Their adventure took them to many places along the way and, like a travelling gnome, the coconut monkey was photographed at different places across America. Gabe and Julie gave themselves the names "Thelma and Louise" since one of their stops was the Grand Canyon. (Thankfully, they omitted the part of the movie where the vehicle goes INTO the canyon). Since Brad Pitt made an early appearance in that movie, the coconut monkey was given the name of "Bradette."  Yes, this is how she got her name. If Brad Pitt is reading this, perhaps he should be compelled to make a donation to primate conservation. (FYI, Brad Pitt was born in Oklahoma, so he really should care about this whole story, don't you think?)

Gabe and Julie wrote up a photo journal of this first adventure and brought Bradette and the journal to the follow year's ASP meeting and put her in the ASP Conservation Auction. From that time, each person who wins her in the ASP Conservation Auction agrees to document her year and bring her back for another adventure. By now, she's raised a LOT of money and awareness about primate conservation.

During spring 2012, she is travelling with me on Semester at Sea around the entire world. From Florida to San Diego (the long way), we will see the world and share photos of her adventures. We hope you enjoy these.

NOTE: If you want to contribute to primate conservation projects, follow the links on this page for either the American Society of Primatologists OR the International Primatological Society. Your donation will be well spent.