It’s a familiar scene. The gang spreads out on the mid-morning quest for food. Some comb the ground as though searching for loose change; others comb through their companions’ fur with nimble, nitpicking fingers. Mothers clasp babies, youngsters dangle from overhead branches and one big guy perches on a termite mound, elbows on knees, surveying his surroundings.
Suddenly, the serene ambience is shattered by a shrieking dispute between a couple of adolescents who tear through the troop, drawing irritated rebukes. Bystanders lope away disdainfully. Peace returns — for now.