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I was up at Bontebok for the weekend, I left early but some friends stayed on for a few more days. On monday 18th april they had a Vervet Monkey come down into their camp. It was very hungry and raided their tent. They called the ranger who got very excited as it was the first sighting of a vervet in the park.

This lead to all sorts of theories as to how it got there. The river had resently subsided from a flooding, my theory runs that it came down the Brede - does anyone else think this is possible

I will post a photo has soon as I get it.

This is an interesting one. You're so used to seeing Vervets everywhere you go, you won't expect them to be a rare sighting anywhere.

My thoughts exactly! Bet the day is going to come that the ranger is going to be sorry the monkeys ever found their way into that Park...

I still love to watch their antics - very entertaining characters.

I have even had them all over the grapevine growing at the entrance to our house!

Do you know that vervets have four different alarm calls - one for large predators, one for large snakes and one for baboons. They do not have a different alarm call for man - they use the same one for man as for baboon. Clever or what

I think it's sad some people still see them as vermin.


I would just love to see this. I love watching monkeys. I can do so for hours.

When staying at Olifants we observed their carniverous nature - or at least their attempts! A pair of redwinged starling were trying to get their youngster to fly - we had been watching for a while. A small troup of vervet were just outside the fence foraging in the bushes; a large male noticed the youngster and immediately came over the fence on some larger branches and tried to attack. The parents bravely flew at the monkey - and I grabbed a broom (not sure if I should have interfered!). The young starling tried to fly off down the cliff face and was pursued by the monkey troup.

Fortunately it seemed to have escaped as it re-appeared several hours later.

Richard

I love these monkeys.
One thing I have noticed is how monkey and baboon troops often have a few imapla in tow. My children and I often refer to the impies as their pets.
One of my loveliest sightings was of a young vervet and a young impala playing "tag" in a grove of trees.

Photographed this in the Park yesterday.....
The monkeys are evolving

See larger originals at

http://www.pbase.com/richardharris/others

This past weekend a vervet caught and ate a grown guinea fowl at our bush house …we ourselves did not witness the “kill” …somebody else however did, and we saw the remains. I was very surprised about it…but now that I read Richard’s post it seems that it is not out of the ordinary.

My Field Guide of Mammals states that their diet consists of a wide range of fruits, flowers, leaves, gums and seeds, and when the opportunity occurs, invertebrates and small vertebrates such a nestling birds.
Interesting, but then again I guess Baboons also become carniverous from time to time as well.

This one didn't want his mugshot taken at Nkuhlu
Large

That is so funny, Bert.
On my last trip I heard my car alarm go off.
I ran to have a look to see what was happening.
I had inadvertently left my back windows open and a couple of monkeys were having a great time.
The one jumped out when I arrived, but the other little one was in my driver's seat and just shouted back at me. He was after a blister pack of anti-inflammatory tablets that I had used for a running injury.
He grabbed the packet and ran off.
I was very worried at that point. If he had taken even one it would cause kidney failure.
I stood under the tree trying to get him to drop it.
never try to reason with a monkey.
The little devil gave me a look of defiance and opened the pack and bit into the first tablet.

Have you ever seen a monkey grimace.
These pills are really bitter.
Next thing my pack of tablets was at my feet.
Needless to say, I was very relieved and the little blighter lived to see another day.

At Tshokwane Picnic Spot:

Looks like he is waiting for his lunch to arrive Mark.