Congo (BBC TV series)
Encyclopedia
Congo is a 2001 BBC
nature documentary
series for television on the natural history of the Congo River
of Central Africa
. In three episodes, the series explores the variety of animals and habitats that are to be found along the river’s 4,700 km (2,922 mi) reach.
Congo was produced for the BBC Natural History Unit
and the Discovery Channel
by Scorer Associates. The series writer/producer was Brian Leith and the executive producer
was Neil Nightingale
. Series consultants were Michael Fay
, Kate Abernethy, Jonathan Kingdon
and Lee White
.
Filmed in half a dozen countries, it is remarkable for a film that purports to present the Congo River from source to mouth, that one of them is not the Democratic Republic of the Congo
which encompasses the vast majority of the river's watershed. (The one exception to this is the brief sequence of Livingstone Falls
.) The reason for this is that the Second Congo War
(1998-2003) was underway during filming (1999-2000). Thus the film would perhaps be more aptly described as a presentation of the periphery of the Congo Basin.
The series forms part of the Natural History Unit's Continents strand and was preceded by Andes to Amazon
in 2000
and Wild Africa
in 2001
nzere, "the river that swallows all rivers"), the Congo's origin is traced to the Chambeshi (discovered by Livingstone
) in Zambia
. The Kalambo River
has one of Africa’s highest waterfall
s (250 meters) at the Zambia/Tanzania
border. The Chambeshi contributes to the Bangweulu Swamp, home to both the black lechwe and the Bemba people
. (Livingstone died there searching for the Nile source.) Other denizens include the oribi
, tsessebe (relative of the gnu
), African lungfish and the stork-like shoebill
. The Luapula
and Lualaba River
s are followed, as is the Lake Tanganyika
effluent river, the Lukuga. Tanganyika provides habitat for Limnocnida (freshwater jellyfish), the basher
(a primitive fish), water cobra, the spotted-necked otter and diverse populations of cichlid
s. The abandoned “country estate” of Col. Stewart Gore-Browne
(incorrectly called “Henry” in the series) — known as Shiwa Ngandu
— is visited. It is in northern Zambia. The Congo’s course is picked up again far downstream where it forms a part of the border between Congo-Brazzaville and Congo-Kinshasa. The wider river here hosts elephant-snout fish
, north African catfish
, and the water chevrotain. “Bais” (Biaka, “glades”) provide habitat for elephant, hippo
and the western lowland gorilla
, which numbers as many as 50,000 within the Odzala National Park
. River martin
s swarm massively. The Congo is so wide here that it forms an effective barrier between two related species of ape: the common chimp
on the north bank and the bonobo
(pygmy chimp) on the south. The sequence makes another huge jump here, to the Livingstone Falls
just below Kinshasa
. Finally, Gabon
's Loango National Park
is visited — the last place where large African animals may still be seen wild on a seashore.
pygmies of the northern Congo basin relate tales of the Mokèlé-mbèmbé
, a legendary, dinosaur-like creature purportedly inhabiting the Lake Tele
region of the Republic of the Congo
(ROC). It is thought to feed on Landolphia, a type of liana
. Other denizens of the ROC include moustached guenon
s, crowned guenons, red colobus monkeys, okapi
s and the blue duiker
. Figs sustain great blue turaco
s, black mangabeys and various hornbill
s. The forests of Tanzania
’s Gombe National Park support common chimpanzee
s and the bais of Dzanga-Sangha National Park in the Central African Republic
support numbers of forest elephant. Other Congolese inhabitants featured include red river hog
s, bongo
s, forest buffalo
, orb-web spiders and colonial spiders. Returning again to the ROC, the Biaka are seen to expertly craft Portuguese
-style crossbow
s and arrows made from seven different kinds of wood and other plants. Gorillas are again viewed at the Odzala National Park.
s, chimps and bonobo
s (pygmy chimps). At Nouabale-Ndoki National Park
in the ROC, David Morgan investigates chimps in the “uncharted” wilderness of the Goualougo Triangle
. Conservationist/ecologist Mike Fay
studies the natural history of the Ndoki River and Sangha River
regions, as well as Lake Tele, an even more remote area to the east. Families of western lowland gorillas are seen washing their food (a first) at Mbele Bai. Although uninhabited now, pottery shards on the banks of the Sangha attest to former human habitation, as do the 2,300- to 2,500-year old oil palm
nuts found nearby. Both gorillas and common chimps are contrasted unfavorably with bonobos: The latter are “new age
” and “touchy-feely" apes. Moreover, because of their more amiable behavior, “feminists have taken bonobos to their hearts”. As for the common chimps, they prowl like “teenage gangs” and “behave like thugs and villains”. Unlike the bonobos, they kill other primates and one another, maybe even “for fun”. It is speculated that the Congo Basin may be where humans originated — though no real evidence for this is presented. There are, however, thousands of petroglyph
s (rock art
) at Lopé
in Gabon, to attest to early human habitation. Richard Oslisly, a French archeologist, believes he has found evidence of early “burn and chase” hunting at Lopé, a pattern which may explain the en masse migratory habits of mandrills in the local grasslands. The extraction of timber
and bushmeat
from this jungle area results in a continuous stream of traffic on the crude roads.
award in the science and natural history category.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
nature documentary
Nature documentary
A natural history film or wildlife film is a documentary film about animals, plants, or other non-human living creatures, usually concentrating on film taken in their natural habitat...
series for television on the natural history of the Congo River
Congo River
The Congo River is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of . It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon...
of Central Africa
Central Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
. In three episodes, the series explores the variety of animals and habitats that are to be found along the river’s 4,700 km (2,922 mi) reach.
Congo was produced for the BBC Natural History Unit
BBC Natural History Unit
The BBC Natural History Unit is a department of the BBC dedicated to making television and radio programmes with a natural history or wildlife theme, especially nature documentaries...
and the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
by Scorer Associates. The series writer/producer was Brian Leith and the executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
was Neil Nightingale
Neil Nightingale
Neil Nightingale is a senior producer at the BBC's Natural History Unit, the largest wildlife film-making production unit in the world, and was its Head from February 2003 until January 2009...
. Series consultants were Michael Fay
J. Michael Fay
J. Michael Fay is an American ecologist and conservationist notable for, among other things, the MegaTransect, in which he spent 455 days walking 3200 miles across Africa and the MegaFlyover in which he and pilot Peter Ragg spent months flying 70,000 miles in a small plane at low altitude, taking...
, Kate Abernethy, Jonathan Kingdon
Jonathan Kingdon
Jonathan Kingdon is a science author, and Research Associate at the University of Oxford.He focuses on taxonomic illustration and evolution of the mammals of Africa. He is a contributor to The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing....
and Lee White
Lee White
Lee Andrew White is a former American football running back. After playing college football for the Division I-AA Weber State Wildcats, he joined the New York Jets as the 17th pick in the 1968 Common Draft...
.
Filmed in half a dozen countries, it is remarkable for a film that purports to present the Congo River from source to mouth, that one of them is not the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
which encompasses the vast majority of the river's watershed. (The one exception to this is the brief sequence of Livingstone Falls
Livingstone Falls
Livingstone Falls — named for the explorer David Livingstone — are a succession of enormous rapids on the lower course of the Congo River in west equatorial Africa, downstream from Malebo Pool in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.-Description:Livingstone Falls consist of a series of rapids...
.) The reason for this is that the Second Congo War
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...
(1998-2003) was underway during filming (1999-2000). Thus the film would perhaps be more aptly described as a presentation of the periphery of the Congo Basin.
The series forms part of the Natural History Unit's Continents strand and was preceded by Andes to Amazon
Andes to Amazon
Andes to Amazon is a nature documentary TV series co-produced by the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, England and Animal Planet, first transmitted in the UK on BBC2 in November 2000. In other territories it was sometimes broadcast under the title Wild South AmericaEach of the six 50-minute...
in 2000
2000 in television
The year 2000 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2000.For the American TV schedule, see: 2000-01 United States network television schedule.-Event:-Debuts:-1940s:...
and Wild Africa
Wild Africa
Wild Africa is a BBC nature documentary series exploring the natural history of the African continent, first transmitted in the UK on BBC2 in November 2001.The series comprises six episodes. Each concentrates on a particular environment...
in 2001
2001 in television
The year 2001 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2001.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:*Meet the Press .*Candid Camera .*CBS Evening News ....
1. "The River That Swallows All Rivers"
Formerly called the “Zaire” (KongoKongo language
The Kongo language, or Kikongo, is the Bantu language spoken by the Bakongo and Bandundu people living in the tropical forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo and Angola. It is a tonal language and formed the base for Kituba, a Bantu creole and lingua franca...
nzere, "the river that swallows all rivers"), the Congo's origin is traced to the Chambeshi (discovered by Livingstone
David Livingstone
David Livingstone was a Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society and an explorer in Africa. His meeting with H. M. Stanley gave rise to the popular quotation, "Dr...
) in Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
. The Kalambo River
Kalambo River
The Kalambo River forms part of the border between Zambia and Tanzania. It is a comparatively small stream which rises in the highlands north-east of Mbala at an elevation of about 1800 m and descends into the Eastern Great Rift Valley, entering the southeastern end of Lake Tanganyika at an...
has one of Africa’s highest waterfall
Kalambo Falls
Kalambo Falls on the Kalambo River is a 772ft single drop waterfall on the border of Zambia and Tanzania at the southeast end of Lake Tanganyika. The falls are some of the tallest uninterrupted falls in Africa...
s (250 meters) at the Zambia/Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
border. The Chambeshi contributes to the Bangweulu Swamp, home to both the black lechwe and the Bemba people
Bemba people
The Bemba belong to a large group of peoples mainly in the Northern, Luapula and Copperbelt Provinces of Zambia who trace their origins to the Luba and Lunda states of the upper Congo basin, in what became Katanga Province in southern Congo-Kinshasa...
. (Livingstone died there searching for the Nile source.) Other denizens include the oribi
Oribi
Oribi are graceful slender-legged, long-necked small antelope found in grassland almost throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.-Description:...
, tsessebe (relative of the gnu
GNU
GNU is a Unix-like computer operating system developed by the GNU project, ultimately aiming to be a "complete Unix-compatible software system"...
), African lungfish and the stork-like shoebill
Shoebill
The Shoebill also known as Whalehead or Shoe-billed Stork, is a very large stork-like bird. It derives its name from its massive shoe-shaped bill. The adult bird is tall, long, across the wingspan and weighs . Their beaks have an average length of length of . The adult is mainly grey while the...
. The Luapula
Luapula River
The Luapula River is a section of Africa's second-longest river, the Congo. It is a transnational river forming for nearly all its length part of the border between Zambia and the DR Congo...
and Lualaba River
Lualaba River
The Lualaba River is the greatest headstream of the Congo River by volume of water. However, by length the Chambeshi River is the farthest headstream. The Lualaba is 1800 km long, running from near Musofi in the vicinity of Lubumbashi in Katanga Province. The whole of its length lies within the...
s are followed, as is the Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is an African Great Lake. It is estimated to be the second largest freshwater lake in the world by volume, and the second deepest, after Lake Baikal in Siberia; it is also the world's longest freshwater lake...
effluent river, the Lukuga. Tanganyika provides habitat for Limnocnida (freshwater jellyfish), the basher
Basher
-People:*Basher Hassan, an English cricketer* Nick Lowe * A person who participates in bashing* A character in the 2001 remake of Ocean's Eleven, portrayed by Don Cheadle...
(a primitive fish), water cobra, the spotted-necked otter and diverse populations of cichlid
Cichlid
Cichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...
s. The abandoned “country estate” of Col. Stewart Gore-Browne
Stewart Gore-Browne
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Stewart Gore-Browne, DSO, , called Chipembele by Africans, was a soldier, pioneer white settler, builder, politician and supporter of independence in Northern Rhodesia .- Early life :...
(incorrectly called “Henry” in the series) — known as Shiwa Ngandu
Shiwa Ngandu
Shiwa Ngandu is a grand English-style country house and estate in the Northern Province of Zambia, about 12 km west of the Tanzam highway and half-way between Mpika and Chinsali. Its name is based on a small lake nearby, Lake Ishiba Ng'andu which in the Bemba language means 'lake of the royal...
— is visited. It is in northern Zambia. The Congo’s course is picked up again far downstream where it forms a part of the border between Congo-Brazzaville and Congo-Kinshasa. The wider river here hosts elephant-snout fish
Mormyrus
Mormyrus is a genus of fish in the Mormyridae family.- Species :* Mormyrus bernhardi Pellegrin, 1926 * Mormyrus caballus Boulenger, 1898** Mormyrus caballus asinus Boulenger, 1915...
, north African catfish
Clarias gariepinus
Clarias gariepinus or African sharptooth catfish is a species of catfish of the family Clariidae, the airbreathing catfishes.- Natural Distribution :...
, and the water chevrotain. “Bais” (Biaka, “glades”) provide habitat for elephant, hippo
Hippo
A hippo or hippopotamus is either of two species of large African mammal which live mainly in and near water:* Hippopotamus* Pygmy HippopotamusHippo may also refer to:-Given names:...
and the western lowland gorilla
Western Lowland Gorilla
The western lowland gorilla is a subspecies of the western gorilla that lives in montane, primary, and secondary forests and lowland swamps in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. It is the gorilla usually found in zoos...
, which numbers as many as 50,000 within the Odzala National Park
Odzala National Park
Odzala National Park is a national park in the Cuvette-Ouest Region of Republic of the Congo. Founded in 1935, the park now covers 13,600 km2...
. River martin
River martin
The river martins form a distinctive subfamily Pseudochelidoninae within the swallow and martin bird family Hirundinidae. The two species are the African River Martin Pseudochelidon eurystomina, found in the Congo and Gabon, and the White-eyed River Martin Pseudochelidon sirintarae, known only from...
s swarm massively. The Congo is so wide here that it forms an effective barrier between two related species of ape: the common chimp
Common Chimpanzee
The common chimpanzee , also known as the robust chimpanzee, is a great ape. Colloquially, the common chimpanzee is often called the chimpanzee , though technically this term refers to both species in the genus Pan: the common chimpanzee and the closely related bonobo, formerly called the pygmy...
on the north bank and the bonobo
Bonobo
The bonobo , Pan paniscus, previously called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often, the dwarf or gracile chimpanzee, is a great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan. The other species in genus Pan is Pan troglodytes, or the common chimpanzee...
(pygmy chimp) on the south. The sequence makes another huge jump here, to the Livingstone Falls
Livingstone Falls
Livingstone Falls — named for the explorer David Livingstone — are a succession of enormous rapids on the lower course of the Congo River in west equatorial Africa, downstream from Malebo Pool in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.-Description:Livingstone Falls consist of a series of rapids...
just below Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
. Finally, Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
's Loango National Park
Loango National Park
Loango National Park is a national park in western Gabon. It protects diverse coastal habitat, including part of the 220 km² Iguéla Lagoon, the only significant example of a typical western African lagoon system that is protected within a national park....
is visited — the last place where large African animals may still be seen wild on a seashore.
2. "Spirits of the Forest"
The Biaka (Bayaka) and BakaBaka (Cameroon and Gabon)
The Baka, known in the Congo as Bayaka , are an ethnic group inhabiting the southeastern rainforests of Cameroon, northern Republic of Congo, northern Gabon, and southwestern Central African Republic. They are sometimes called a subgroup of the Twa, but the two peoples are not closely related...
pygmies of the northern Congo basin relate tales of the Mokèlé-mbèmbé
Mokèlé-mbèmbé
Mokèlé-mbèmbé, meaning "one who stops the flow of rivers" in the Lingala language, is the name given to a large water-dwelling cryptid found in legends and folklore of the Congo River basin. It is sometimes described as a living creature and sometimes as a spirit. It could be considered loosely...
, a legendary, dinosaur-like creature purportedly inhabiting the Lake Tele
Lake Tele
Lake Tele is a freshwater lake located in the north-east of the Republic of the Congo. It is located at .Lake Tele has often been mentioned as the home of the Mokèlé-mbèmbé , and is also allegedly the spot where pygmies killed and ate one of the creatures in about 1959...
region of the Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
(ROC). It is thought to feed on Landolphia, a type of liana
Liana
A liana is any of various long-stemmed, woody vines that are rooted in the soil at ground level and use trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy to get access to well-lit areas of the forest. Lianas are especially characteristic of tropical moist deciduous...
. Other denizens of the ROC include moustached guenon
Moustached Guenon
The moustached guenon or moustached monkey is a species of primate in the Cercopithecidae family. It is found in Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon....
s, crowned guenons, red colobus monkeys, okapi
Okapi
The okapi , Okapia johnstoni, is a giraffid artiodactyl mammal native to the Ituri Rainforest, located in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Central Africa...
s and the blue duiker
Blue Duiker
Blue Duiker is a small forest dwelling duiker found in the Central Africa and southern South Africa.Blue Duikers stand around 35 centimetres tall at the shoulder and weigh 4 kilograms.They are the smallest of the antelope family. Blue Duikers have a brown coat with a slight blue tinge – hence...
. Figs sustain great blue turaco
Great Blue Turaco
The Great Blue Turaco is a turaco, a group of African near-passerines. It is not only the largest turaco but the largest species in the diverse Cuculiformes order . Generally, the Great Blue Turaco is in length with a mass of...
s, black mangabeys and various hornbill
Hornbill
Hornbills are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly-colored and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible. Both the common English and the scientific name of the family...
s. The forests of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
’s Gombe National Park support common chimpanzee
Common Chimpanzee
The common chimpanzee , also known as the robust chimpanzee, is a great ape. Colloquially, the common chimpanzee is often called the chimpanzee , though technically this term refers to both species in the genus Pan: the common chimpanzee and the closely related bonobo, formerly called the pygmy...
s and the bais of Dzanga-Sangha National Park in the Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
support numbers of forest elephant. Other Congolese inhabitants featured include red river hog
Red River Hog
The red river hog , also known as the bush pig , is a wild member of the pig family living in Africa, with most of its distribution in the Guinean and Congolian forests...
s, bongo
Bongo (antelope)
The western or lowland bongo, Tragelaphus eurycerus eurycerus, is a herbivorous, mostly nocturnal forest ungulate and among the largest of the African forest antelope species....
s, forest buffalo
African Forest Buffalo
The African Forest Buffalo is smaller than the Cape Buffalo, with horns that curves out backwards and upwards. Usually weighing , they are reddish brown in color. Its native habitat is the equatorial forest found in central and western Africa, and its diet consists primarily of grasses, twigs, and...
, orb-web spiders and colonial spiders. Returning again to the ROC, the Biaka are seen to expertly craft Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
-style crossbow
Crossbow
A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts or quarrels. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a torsion engine resembling a crossbow in appearance.Historically, crossbows played a...
s and arrows made from seven different kinds of wood and other plants. Gorillas are again viewed at the Odzala National Park.
3. "Footprints in the Forest"
The Congo Basin is home to the largest number of non-human primates on earth, including three apes: gorillaGorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
s, chimps and bonobo
Bonobo
The bonobo , Pan paniscus, previously called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often, the dwarf or gracile chimpanzee, is a great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan. The other species in genus Pan is Pan troglodytes, or the common chimpanzee...
s (pygmy chimps). At Nouabale-Ndoki National Park
Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park
Nouabal-Ndoki National Park is a national park in the Republic of the Congo. Established in 1993, north of Congo, it is mostly populated with elephants, apes, ranging from Western Lowland Gorillas to chimpanzees and bongo. It is of pristine tropical rainforest with no human habitation within it...
in the ROC, David Morgan investigates chimps in the “uncharted” wilderness of the Goualougo Triangle
Goualougo Triangle
The Goualougo Triangle, is a region on the southern end of the Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, located in the Republic of Congo, in Central Africa. The northern Congo lowland forest ecosystem of the park is one of the most intact fauna habitats of its type in Africa...
. Conservationist/ecologist Mike Fay
J. Michael Fay
J. Michael Fay is an American ecologist and conservationist notable for, among other things, the MegaTransect, in which he spent 455 days walking 3200 miles across Africa and the MegaFlyover in which he and pilot Peter Ragg spent months flying 70,000 miles in a small plane at low altitude, taking...
studies the natural history of the Ndoki River and Sangha River
Sangha River
The Sangha River, a river in central Africa, is a tributary of the Congo River, which it joins at . Formed by the merging of the Mambéré River into the Kadéï River at Nola , the Sangha flows through the Central African Republic, along the border of Cameroon, and through the Republic of Congo.Its...
regions, as well as Lake Tele, an even more remote area to the east. Families of western lowland gorillas are seen washing their food (a first) at Mbele Bai. Although uninhabited now, pottery shards on the banks of the Sangha attest to former human habitation, as do the 2,300- to 2,500-year old oil palm
Oil palm
The oil palms comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis is native to West Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia, while the American Oil Palm Elaeis oleifera is native to...
nuts found nearby. Both gorillas and common chimps are contrasted unfavorably with bonobos: The latter are “new age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
” and “touchy-feely" apes. Moreover, because of their more amiable behavior, “feminists have taken bonobos to their hearts”. As for the common chimps, they prowl like “teenage gangs” and “behave like thugs and villains”. Unlike the bonobos, they kill other primates and one another, maybe even “for fun”. It is speculated that the Congo Basin may be where humans originated — though no real evidence for this is presented. There are, however, thousands of petroglyph
Petroglyph
Petroglyphs are pictogram and logogram images created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, and abrading. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions of the technique to refer to such images...
s (rock art
Rock art
Rock art is a term used in archaeology for any human-made markings made on natural stone. They can be divided into:*Petroglyphs - carvings into stone surfaces*Pictographs - rock and cave paintings...
) at Lopé
Lopé National Park
Lopé National Park is a national park in central Gabon. Although the terrain is mostly rain forest, in the north the park contains the last remnants of grass savannas created in Central Africa during the last Ice Age, 15,000 years ago. It was the first protected area in Gabon when the Lopé-Okanda...
in Gabon, to attest to early human habitation. Richard Oslisly, a French archeologist, believes he has found evidence of early “burn and chase” hunting at Lopé, a pattern which may explain the en masse migratory habits of mandrills in the local grasslands. The extraction of timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
and bushmeat
Bushmeat
Bushmeat initially referred to the hunting of wild animals in West and Central Africa and is a calque from the French viande de brousse. Today the term is commonly used for meat of terrestrial wild animals, killed for subsistence or commercial purposes throughout the humid tropics of the Americas,...
from this jungle area results in a continuous stream of traffic on the crude roads.
Awards
The series won the 2002 Royal Television SocietyRoyal Television Society
The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
award in the science and natural history category.
See also
- BBC Atlas of the Natural WorldBBC Atlas of the Natural WorldThe BBC Atlas of the Natural World is the title of two compilations of DVDs consisting of eight separate nature documentary series produced by the BBC Natural History Unit between 1987 and 2005. The boxed sets, each consisting of 4 series and 6 DVDs, are subtitled “Western Hemisphere and...
, a 2006-07 DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
compilation series for North America