I come from Africa, a land of beauty and many MANY animals. One of my favourite animals that our land has to offer is also one I get the honour of seeing daily - Vervet monkeys. These tiny human-like beings scurry about our gardens, farmlands and even city centers. They are mostly found along our coastal regions and are always a sight to see – I never tire of watching their shenanigans! While these critters can be quite a nuisance and are known for intruding homes in the search for food and treats, it really is lovely to have this bit of wildlife on our doorsteps!
What Do They Look Like?
- Vervet monkeys are small in size, with the males being slightly bigger than the females. You could say an average body size would be 50cm in length when they stand up right. They have tin black faces and grey body fur, finished off with long and sleek black tails. These monkeys have very human-like characteristics, from the way they eat to even the way they play! They love to swing and climb my son’s jungle gym for instance!
What do they eat?
- While Vervets are herbivores, I have seen them eat insects on the odd occasion too. They love catching flying ants and munching on the buttery bodies (yuck)! I live next to a sugarcane field and they visit us almost daily so that the can munch on the sugary treats (leaving one hell of a mess as they do)! The critters aren’t always satisfied with eating the plants and fruit they find however. If you leave your window open they are very likely to sneak into your home and invade kitchen cupboards. Just today I came home to find that they had pinched my bananas and a loaf of bread!
What are they like?
- These little wild animals are somewhat harmless. I say somewhat, because on the very rare occasion they have attacked humans, mostly just by biting. I have also heard of instances where the monkeys have killed small pets. For the most part though, like all animals, they are more scared of us than we are of them and when they do attack, it’s because they feel threatened. The Vervets that roam the area where I stay are more on the friendly side and come very close to us, some will even bravely wonder up to our feet in the hopes of being fed.
BUT
Please DON’T feed the monkeys!
Our locals have gotten into the very bad habit of feeding the Vervets. Not only does this encourage them to get too cosy and close to humans, but it also upsets their natural diet and hunting habits. Their little stomachs cannot handle refined sugars found in bread and other human food, giving them all sorts of health problems. When they are fed they are also discouraged from going out to hunt, making them lazy and more dependent on sneaking through windows in search of food in our homes.
Caring for our animals…
Very sadly so, humans in our area have been mistreating these tiny creatures, since they can't cope with some of the havoc they cause. They are being shot with pellet guns and paint guns too, which you can imagine has been causing many injuries and even deaths! This is not on! As a result, a Monkey Helpline has been established in many areas, where you can report viewing of injured or abandoned monkeys. These monkeys will then be rescued and rehabilitated, with the hopes of reintroducing them to their natural habitat.
I am extremely blessed to live where I do, I love my view from my home and I love LOVE it when the Vervet Monkeys pay a visit. My child also gets super excited when he sees them and is always eager to join them in their mischief. I hope you enjoyed learning about these adorable creatures!
Much love - @sweetpea
Link to the previous post
Copying and pasting previous posts or significant parts of them could be seen as spam when:
Spam is discouraged by the community and may result in the account being Blacklisted.
Please refrain from copying and pasting previous posts going forward. If you believe this comment is in error, please contact us in #appeals in Discord.