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JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY 
BEDS OF THE GORILLA AND CHIMPANZEE 
By C. R. Aschemeier 
During my stay of over two years in the Gaboon District, French 
Congo, I was much interested in the sleeping nests or ^ ‘beds’’ of the 
gorilla and the chimpanzee; and it was my good fortune to find numbers 
of these beds belonging to each species. Both animals, according 
to my observations, make their beds in as secure places as they can 
find, but the chimpanzee seems to favor the greatest retirement, 
with less chance of disturbance from its foes of the jungle. I did not 
see a single bed of the chimpanzee on the ground, and they were usually 
constructed well up in the fork or crotch of taU and quite slender 
trees. In no case was the nest of the chimpanzee constructed in a 
tree measuring over a foot and a half in diameter at the base; and 
the trees selected were with few branches, a good distance apart. The 
lowest chimpanzee bed noted was about 30 feet from the ground, and 
the highest (two beds here quite close together) was fully 60 feet up. 
Not long after my arrival at Omboue, Fernan Vaz, from Cap Lopez, 
and while still a bit “green,” I went into the bush a short distance, 
accompanied by a native boy as a guide, to look for specimens. 
After we had wandered about for quite a long time and had secured 
a few birds, my companion suddenly stopped and gazed into the upper 
part of a tree. I could not at first see anything and asked what was 
there. He replied “N’chigo anago,” and as I was still new to the 
language I was inclined to let it go at that, but he finally managed 
to make me understand what he meant — a chimpanzee bed or house. 
He then climbed up and investigated, and when he came down I 
ascended. I was quite played out by the time I reached the bed, but 
I examined it as well as I could, with one arm free to investigate. It 
was in a crotch of the tree and was well made of leaves from the same 
tree together with what looked like parts of bushes from off the ground. 
From what I have learned in regard to the bed of the orang-utan, I 
should judge that the nests of these two apes are very similar. I 
wondered, and have since often been asked, if the chimpanzee uses 
the bed more than once. Reliable natives all agreed in saying that 
the same beds are never twice used. 
Later on I was collecting in the bush one day when, as it was getting 
quite late, I decided to return to camp. I had with me at the time 
my most faithful and efficient guide and helper, Pambo, who suddenly 
stopped short in his tracks. On looking up I saw three dark forms 
