When you are doing research on chimpanzees, you spend your time following them around on foot at a safe distance, taking data on whatever particular aspect you are studying. Sometimes, however, it's quite difficult to find and/or stay with chimpanzees, so we often follow them until they go to bed at night and come back the next morning before they wake up.

Chimpanzees build a nest up in the trees each night in which to sleep. Therefore, we “nest” them at about 6–7 p.m. and “unnest” them between 6–7 in the morning. This morning, I went out at the crack of dawn with my graduate student, Matt Heintz of the University of Chicago, to unnest one of my favorite chimpanzees, Gaia, and her 1-year-old son, Google.

Gaia is my absolute favorite chimpanzee—I have known her since she was little, and it's amazing to watch her be a mother now herself. We reached her nest before she woke up and waited in the still-dark forest for dawn to break. It’s a magical time to be in the forest: it's quiet, peaceful and dimly lit before everything wakes up.

Matt is studying mother-infant interactions and chimpanzee play, so I was able to observe his data collection firsthand and discuss his questions and ideas with him. Gaia took it easy on us—she had a very long breakfast of palm nuts and figs (for about two hours!) before grooming her little son and then taking a lengthy nap. What a life!

It's July 4th—our independence day—so we plan on celebrating by watching one of Gombe's amazing sunsets and getting some good rest ourselves....

Elizabeth Lonsdorf