By Obiabin Onukwugha
Galagos, also known as bush babies or nagapies “night monkeys” are small nocturnal primates native to sub-Saharan Africa.
It is said that the name “bush baby” comes from either the animal’s cries or its appearance. The Ghanaian name aposor is given to them because of their firm grip on branches.
Yorubas call it “Egbere”, Igbos call it “Ikiri”.
Galagos are nocturnal animals that live in the tree hollows. They usually howl all night long, sometimes to assert their territory and sometimes to communicate and warn each other of danger.
These fluffy animals have huge eyes that make them look very cute.
These primates travel in leaps and bounds and they frequently mark their routes with urine as they go. By following their scent, they can jump onto the same branches each time when they go to, or from their nest. Males also urine-mark the boundaries of their territories and will sometimes become aggressive toward intruders.
Bush babies mate every four to eight months, with gestation lasting about 124 days. Females ‘park’ their infants in constructed nests while they search for food, moving them away from danger by carrying them in their mouths.
They’re omnivores that eat fruit, insects, tree gum, and sometimes small animals. Bush babies have a lifespan of over 16 years in the wild.
Animals such as mongooses, genets, jackals, domestic dogs and cats, owls, and snakes prey on bush babies. Several other primates have also been observed eating bush babies, such as grey-cheeked mangabeys and blue monkeys.
Climate change impacts such as flooding, deforestation, logging, and agriculture have had a devastating impact on this bushbaby’s habitat. Bush babies are now extinct in some Nigerian communities that experience yearly perennial flooding.
As fruit eaters, bush baby help disperse seeds thus helping forests regeneration.
Bush baby traditional folktale is that of fortune and mystery.
In Nigerian traditional folklore, Bush Babies are linked to a mysterious mat that brings fortune.
Another belief has it that bush babies are believed to be evil creatures. who live in the bushes close to school dormitories. Their cries are supposed to lure unsuspecting humans to their untimely demise because they are said to be ferocious and eats humans till nothing is left but bones.