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Before my African trip, I did as much research on the whereabouts of Goliath Beetles as I could. I only came across one publication that gave a specific location of the Royal Goliath Beetle in Ghana. It was Bobiri Forest Reserve. But how could I be sure? I needed to confirm it before making a trip all the way to the other side of the globe. I somehow came up with the idea of contacting local tourism agencies. My Internet search came across Koforidua Ecotourism. I sent them an email. Not long after, the owner of the business Ebenezer Alhassan replied. He said he was located about 4 hours away. For a service fee, he would be able to visit Bobiri Forest Reserve in person to confirm it for me. I excitedly sent him some money via Western Union and eagerly waited for his return. A few days later, Ebenezer returned from Bobiri and sent me some extraordinary photographs. While in Bobiri Forest Reserve, he visited their research station. In it were four dead specimens of the Royal Goliath Beetle, two males and two females. I was ecstatic and literally yelling and jumping around in front of the computer.A
©昆蟲論壇 -- 昆蟲論壇 X!x0
On our way to Bobiri Forest Reserve, we stopped at a gas station to refuel. Across from the gas station was a hill with some forest. I couldn’t help but wonder if any Goliath Beetles lived there. It would be a great pity to miss them, but we couldn’t possibly check every forest. With a sense of unease, we moved on. At noon, we arrived at Bobiri Forest Reserve. I wasted no time to talk to the staff member who collected the four specimens of the Royal Goliath Beetle. He pointed to the tree where the beetles came from. “Fuck” I cussed again. That tree was at least 30 meters tall, possibly 40. We could not see the canopy. Our insect net couldn’t even reach the lowest branch! Even if there were Goliath Beetles on this tree, we couldn’t catch them. The staff member explained to me that the beetles were found dead under the tree. At the end of each beetle season, old beetles would die and drop to the ground. He couldn’t remember clearly, but he felt the dead beetles were collected in November or December. The good news was we were in the right season for live Goliath Beetles. The bad news was they were beyond our vision and reach. After unpacking, we began exploring Bobiri Forest Reserve. It was the same situation as Kakum National Park: the trees were way beyond our scope. Pressure was mounting. We were at the right place at the right time, but there was nothing we could do. We were running out of options. We decided to do some light trapping at night. This was a last ditch effort. Goliath Beetles were not nocturnal. However, if one was scared into a flight by a predator at night, then it might fly to our light trap. All we needed was one fertilized female to start a breeding colony. After the usual stir fried onion with canned sardines over steamed white rice, we lit our light trap. All kinds of insects came: moths, katydids, crickets, praying mantises, long horn beetles, stag beetles, ants, wasps, etc. Of course, no Goliath Beetles. We also hung some sliced bananas and pineapples on a tree. There was a slim chance that they might attract a Goliath Beetle.vO|m}
©昆蟲論壇 -- 昆蟲論壇 Xa8
Bobiri Forest Reserve had an on-site motel. Any tourist or researcher could stay here. There was running water, but no water heater. The light trap became our bonfire. Andy, Q-san, Mac, Mohammed, and I sat in a circle. Mac began to tell us about Ghana’s chocolate industry. This was the first time I learned where chocolate came from. Mac said Ghana was the second largest cacao bean exporter in the world, second to its neighbor, Ivory Coast. Interestingly, the cacao (cocoa) tree originated in South America. Mac bought each of us a box of Ghanaian-made Golden Tree chocolate, the most popular brand in Ghana. Each box contained ten chocolate bars, each weighing 100 grams, so the entire box weighed one kilogram. I probably ate two or three bars. I had never eaten so much chocolate in one sitting. Whereas chocolate in the USA tasted softer and creamier, Ghanaian chocolate tasted harder and more powdery. This was due to a higher concentration of cocoa (minimum 35%) in Ghanaian chocolate. We light trapped until about 4 am. We were beyond tired. Then we retreated to the on-site motel and slept for a few hours. Although Goliath Beetles were most active in the middle of the day when temperature was the warmest, I still woke up at 7 am to check on the fruit trap just in case. Not surprisingly, there was no Goliath Beetle. We checked the fruit trap multiple times through our stay at Bobiri Forest Reserve but no Goliath Beetle ever paid it a visit. However, butterflies seemed to have enjoyed it.x8Up'5
©昆蟲論壇 -- 昆蟲論壇 D}dx*
We decided to spend the entire June 17th, 2015 (our 5th day in Ghana) at Bobiri Forest Reserve because it was a confirmed location for at least the Royal Goliath Beetle. Perhaps the Chief Goliath Beetle lived here, too. Although the jungle was thick and the trees were skyscraping, we still thought we just might have a chance, albeit very slim. It was presumed Goliath Beetles made their cocoons underground. If that was true, it would have to climb to the canopy to find its mate and complete its life cycle. If we got exceptionally lucky, we just might catch one in the process of tree ascending. We spent hours searching. My neck became sore as I raised and lowered my head repeatedly to scan the canopy, the forest floor, and anything in between. We also kept our ears wide open for any buzzing sounds, as Goliath Beetles were said to emit roaring buzzes in flight. We heard nothing. The forest was serene with only occasional bird calls. Just when we thought life could use some excitement, three loud blasts shattered the idle afternoon tranquility! Mac said those were gun shots. Somebody was hunting. We got concerned. Was the hunter shooting at something else or was the hunter shooting at us? Every year, nonchalant hikers worldwide lost their lives to hunters who mistook them for wild game. Visibility was low in the dense Bobiri Forest. The rustling sounds we made as we brushed against the bushes could very well be perceived by the hunter as wild game. We froze as adrenaline rushed. We decided to use this opportunity to take a much needed break and stopped moving. We watched and listened very carefully, fearing any false move could end in tragedy. After some tense waiting, a hunter became faintly visible through the dense forest. We immediately made our presence known by greeting him loudly so that we would not be mistaken for prey. He returned our greetings and began to make our way. He had just taken a duiker antelope and was headed for the market to sell it as fresh as possible. We chatted with the hunter for a few minutes before he had to rush to the market to maximize his chance of selling his catch on the same day. Most local residents didn’t have a refrigerator. In addition to duikers, the grasscutter, a large cane rat, was also a very popular bushmeat. Potential crisis averted. We were not the hunted. We resumed our search for the elusive giant beetles.}v
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2022/02/21 06:54:03am 
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