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| Monkeys |
| I saw a lot of monkeys in South Africa - sometimes in the wild and other times inside national parks, game reserves, and sanctuaries. In the case of sanctuaries the most outstanding example without a doubt is called "Monkeyland", located near Storms River and Plettenberg Bay. It has been operating since April 1998, and is now home to hundreds of monkeys of 14 different species, most of whom were previously caged in zoos or private homes. The philosophy of Monkeyland goes to great lengths in defining the word "sanctuary", and this includes the concepts of permanance, non-exploitation, and care in excess of regulation. They derrive the majority of their funding from tourism, but the monkeys always come first. Like myself, many people I have talked to who have visited Monkeyland were deeply touched by the experience. |
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| Here we have Tarzan (left and right) and Jane (centre) who have a sad history. They are Spider monkeys whose native habitat is South America. However they were domesticated as pets in a South African home where they were caged, fed badly, and treated horribly. In one case the owners decided to get Tarzan drunk and when he bit one of their party guests they pulled his teeth out with pliers. Now that they have been rescued from this terrible environment, they are free to live out their days at Monkeyland, although they clearly bear physical and psychological scars from their past. |
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| Although Tarzan and Jane are pretty inseperable, here Jane allows herself to be preened by "Bruni", a White-handed Gibbon. |
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| The Black Lemur originates in Madagascar, where it is critically endangered. They have incredibly human-like hands. |
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| Here you can also see an example of the feeding stations in the park. There are several such platforms throughout the sanctuary and food is deposited at a different combination of stations early each morning at about 4:00, before the monkeys are active. This is done in an effort to minimise the association of humans with food. |
| The Cotton-top Tamarin is characterised by it's "punk rocker" hairstyle. It also comes from South America and is also critically endangered. |
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| The Spectacled Langur originates in Southeast Asia and is named for the white patches of skin which encircle the eyes. |
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| Ironically, one of Monkeyland's most memorable attractions (and it's biggest show-off) is not a monkey. Monkeys have tails, apes don't, and this one is a White-handed Gibbon called "Bruni". He is known to somewhat terrorise the neighbourhood with his wild antics, but really he's just trying to impress the girls. He certainly has a lot of personality, but sadly like many others this species, which is endemic to Southeast Asia, is also critically endangered. |
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| This is the blonde variety of the White-handed Gibbon, and if you had to deal with Bruni every day you might spend your time hiding on a rooftop as well. |
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| The Brown-Hooded Capuchin from South America is considered one of the most intelligent monkeys and are known for their excellent manual dexterity and wide range of facial expressions. |
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| It was birthing season for the Squirrel Monkeys when I was there, and all around were tiny babies clutching onto protective mothers. Like many of Monkeyland inhabitants, the Squirrel Monkey originates in South America. |
| Don't any of these monkeys come from Africa? Yes! The Vervet monkey is in fact the most abundant monkey in Africa, and I saw them many times. They have blue testicles and a red penis, and the brightness of the blue defines their level in the social heirarchy. If only it were so simple for us humans. |
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| Another distinction of this species is it's lack of prehensile tail (they use their tail for balancing and cannot grasp objects with it) which categorises them as an "Old World" monkey. Other Old World monkeys include the Spectacled Langur and the Vervet Monkey, which is found throughout southern Africa. |
| I took the other Vervet monkey pictures in Kruger National Park. This group of about 30 were usually hanging around our camp and I spent hours watching them and climbing the trees with them. |
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| Of course no South African monkey album is complete without the Baboon, as you will likely see them in many of the parks and open environments. You will definitely not find them in Monkeyland, however, as they would be quite destructive here. Baboons can be very aggressive and are carnivorous, with large sharp canine teeth which can give a serious bite. They are also particularly large, with individuals weighing up to 40-50kg. Baboons have become a real problem in tourist areas such as the South Cape where people sometimes give them food or leave food on display or unguarded. Where this relationship between humans and food has been allowed to develop, Baboons have become increasingly aggressive and in some cases have had to be destroyed. When I was visiting I heard that 30 of them had recently been killed for this reason. So if you are ever tempted to give food to any wild animal, don't do it. Baboons still deserve our respect, and you should watch them from a distance. Their social structure is fascinating to observe. |
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