For the last two weeks our main job has been to improve the monkey enclosures in the sanctuary. There were some remnants of old toys in a couple of enclosures but generally there was nothing for the monkeys to do except sit on the floor and climb the fence, and monkeys are very intelligent animals so they really needed something to stop them from being bored.
Altogether there are four monkeys in four enclosures, three Vervet monkeys which we call Blue, Riri and Wise, and a Baboon called Black. Riri and Wise share their two enclosures and have an open door between them. We scavenged what we could from the scrap heap and put together some things for them to play with.
For the Vervets, in each enclosure we put up some straight poles of wood for jumping and climbing on, some rope ladders which we made from twine and scrap wood, some swinging tyres and some little wooden shelters for them to find shade under (or for shelter from the rain in the summer). Riri and Wise also got some straight wooden ladders because Blue already had more poles to perch on. Black I renowned for destroying anything that is put in his enclosure so we only gave him robust things – a wooden ladder, a swinging tyre and a swinging pole.
The biggest challenge of all was getting into the enclosures to install our toys. Riri and Wise were simple, we tempted them into one of their two enclosures with food and shut the dividing door so we could go into the other one.
Black had a similar divide in his enclosure but there was just a hole rather than a door, he is also a lot bigger and stronger than the vervets so could do us more harm. We had to tempt him to one side and run in with metal poles to block the hole and work in one side of the enclosure whilst he tried to break through our barricade.
We left Blue until last, I already had a huge soft spot for Blue because he always runs over to greet me and likes to hug my arm through the fence. He has been in the sanctuary since he was an orphaned baby so he is very used to humans and won’t even run away if his enclosure door is left open. He does, however, have a reputation for biting people. Only three people here are confident about going into the enclosure with him, and all of them have been bitten in the past. The conservation workers were adamant we couldn’t go in with him, so we needed to get him out somehow.
We tried catching him in cages, first a small one but he was too quick and could reach into the back and take a banana out without going far enough in to be trapped. We got a bigger one, put an apple right at the back under a pressure plate which should close the door behind him once he stood on it. He climbed in, walked over the pressure plate and took the apple and walked out with it without setting of the trap. He was just far too clever.
Our final plan was to just open the enclosure door, lure him outside with a banana run in with the toys and shut him outside whilst we worked in there. But again he knew what we were up to and refused to come out of the enclosure, even for the banana. At this point, with most other people now distracted by a group of wild baboons loitering nearby, or off fetching more fruit for Blue, I took the chance to walk into his enclosure slowly and see how he reacted to me. I also gave him half a banana as an offering of peace. He took it kindly and sat nearby watching me curiously as I started stringing up the rope ladder.
Things got more challenging as I tried to bring more stuff in, he started climbing up my arm, onto my shoulder and head, and would block the doorway and grunt at me when I tried to go outside the enclosure. He also ran outside at one stage and jumped onto Ruby’s head as she was preparing the tyre, though his eyes were set firmly on the other half of a banana that she had next to her and he soon grabbed it and wolfed it down.
Eventually, I got all the new equipment up and managed to sneak out whilst he played with his new tyre. I felt really privileged that he let me into the enclosure without attacking me. The thing with the monkeys is that there is something so incredibly intelligent and humanlike about them, it almost feels as if we are now friends. I’m going to keep going to check up on him and talk to him as often as I can.
Other Highlights from the last fortnight –
Cleaning the croc pond
Last week we also had a rather messy job to do – cleaning out the Nile crocodile’s pond. It had apparently been two years since it was last done and it was now really overgrown and filthy. It took a full day to remove all the water with a pump, wait for the croc to climb out of the basin and out of our way, then remove a large amount of the mud and reeds before refilling the water. Luckily for us the croc wasn’t feeling particularly hungry and was pretty relaxed when he finally dragged himself up and out of the way. We all got pretty muddy though.
Seeing Rhinos
We have been on another day of rhino tracking this week with the conservation team. Although, this time it was Ruby who found the rhinos rather than the professional trackers, and we got to see all six in one day! Ruby saw the first group of four rhinos from the car as we were still driving around looking for tracks, we got out and walked to a small nearby clearing and they let us get incredibly close (probably because we had been working with Lucerne grass in the morning, which is delicious smelling food for the rhinos). The last two we had to work a bit harder for, and David and Charles made us lead the way and follow the tracks ourselves for the last bit of the way, and again Ruby was the one to spot them through the bushes.
Sunsets, steaks, and animals
Our spare time is mainly being spent wandering around and watching the amazing wildlife that lives on the reserve, but one is continuing to elude us – the leopard. This week a group of American students came to visit for one day and got to see one drinking down by one of the lakes. We spent a bit of time with that group that day too! So we’re feeling pretty unlucky at the moment and like the leopards of Southern Africa are conspiring to avoid us and frustrate us. We are also working closely with our parrot, Louie, who is making steady progress in being more relaxed with human company. This weekend she even took a piece of sweetcorn from my hand (before realising what she’d done and freaking out for ten minutes!).
When we’re not looking for animals, we’ve started a Sunday tradition of cooking steaks on the braai (the steaks are delicious and come smothered in sauce for P20 each, which is around £1.30). I guess it’s our African version of a Sunday roast. We also get treated to a beautiful African sunset every evening which is always a range of wonderful colours. So even with the leopards playing hide and seek with us, we’re feeling very lucky in life!
Lambey in Africa 