References 3. Serle, W. 1954. A second contribution to the 1. Collar, N.J and Stuart, S.N. 1985. Threatenedbirds ornithology of the British Cameroons. Ibis96: 47- ofAfrica and related islands. Cambridge, ICBP/ 80. IUCN. 4. Prigogine, A. 1984. Note sur deux gladiateus 2. Reichenow, A. 1894. Zue Vogelfauna von (Malaconotus). Gerfaut74: 75-81. Kamerun. Zweiter Nachtrag. J. Om. 42: 29-43. 5. Stuart, S.N. eds 1986. Conservation ofCameroon Montane Forests. Cambridge, ICBP. Flat2, 366AylestoneRoad LeicesterLE2 8BL, UK , Elusive Congo Peacock found by film-maker Alan Root John H. Fanshawe n a recent letter, Alan Root, well known for his andIgotagreatlookathimashescuttledoff,lowand I spectacularfilms ofEastAfrican wildlife, vividly leaningforwardlikeacockpheasant.” describes hissearch forthe Congo PeacockAfropavo “I raced back to the. hunters, yelling with excite- congoensis, oneofmanyelusiveanimalshe hasbeen ment,andgaveagreatdemonstrationofwhathappens seekingtocaptureonfilmforaseriesontheecologyof toaEuropeanwho’sbeentoolonginthetropics. They CongoBasinforests. allthoughtI’dbeenattackedandgrabbedtheirspears Hewrites, “GilesThornton[AlanRoot’sassistant] tocometomyaid!” tookamotorbiketwodaysdownatrackthat,30years “Thepeacockdoesnotappeartoberareinthearea ago,wastheroadtoOpienge, 120milessouth-westof weoperatedin. Iwaswearingafeatherinmyhatthat Epulu. There he clearedanoldmissionairstripandI Don[Turner]gotfromtheNewYorkZooandgaveme thenflewinthe 180[Cessnalightplane]withsupplies forluck;itwasinstantlyrecognisedbythepeoplethere, andanotherpiki[motorcycle]. We rodethe bikes for andwe knowthat two birdswere trapped andeaten anotherlongdayonforesttrailstotheLoyariveronthe within a 50km radius in the three months we were parkboundary,andthenwalkedfortwodaysintothe there.” park, wherewesetupabasecamp. Thehunterswe “IalsohavefilmofbothPlumedandBlackGuinea- tookwithusassureduswewouldhearpeacockswhen fowl coming to eat termites spilling from an arboreal theywent to roost, but, though we spent many eve- nesttornopenbyaLong-tailedPangolin-thisisgoing nings sitting on ridge tops we did not...perhaps be- tobeaflickforaficionados!! Otherinterestingdickies causeitwasrainingmostdays?Wedidfindlotsofsigns, seennestinghavebeenWhite-crestedHornbill Tockus scratch marks where they had been feeding, albocristatus, Red-billed DwarfHornbill T. camurus, tracks...(they could have been guineafowl), but then andBlackWattledHornbillCeratogymnaatrata,Grey- wefounddustbathscontainingmaleandfemalepea- throated Rail Canirallus oculeus and Spot-breasted cockfeathers. Itwaswonderfulforest, fullofallsorts Ibis Bostrychia rara." of fruiting trees, and signs everywhere of Elephant, Alan has also succeeded in finding some rarely Chimps, GorillasandOkapi.” seenmammalsincluding;“. .theFishingGenet,known . “On about the tenth day [4 September 1993], I onlyfromaboutadozenskins...andIhavesomegreat walkedoffonmyownforaboutakilometre, founda filmofthemfishing, andWaterChevrotain, themixed placewheretheforestfloorwasclear,andIhadagood, uppig-antelope,thatwehavediscovereddoesnotjust longview,andsatonastumptowatch. Afteracouple swimanddive,butwalksaboutonthebottomofrivers ofhours,Iheardsomethingrustlingtheleaf-litterabout like a hippo...I have film ofone walking, eyes open, thirtyyardsaway. Itturnedouttobeasquirrel, andI through a school of fish. We also got film of Poto- watched itjumpupfromtheforestfloorontoafallen mogale, thegiantotter-shrew.” log...thatshouldhavebeentheendoftheleafnoise,but It’s a great story and, in a subsequent letter, Alan itwasstillgoingon...Iraisedmyheadfromthebinocu- reportsthattherainforestfilmshouldbesetforshowing larstogetawideview, andthemovementspookeda on Independent Television sometime in 1995- The male peacock, who had been hiddenby a fallentree editorswillendeavourtopublishadvancewarningof exceptforhishead. Hebroke,butIhadmybinsright thedetails. ® therealreadyandIfollowedthatwonderful headand crestasheran, andhecameoutfrombehindthetree c/o BirdLife International. Wellbrook Court, Girton Road Cambridge CB3‘0NA , Discoveries BullABC Vol 1 No 1 -27