Cheeky monkey

by Darren

If you visit Kenya on safari then I can almost guarantee that you will see one of these little monkeys. The vervet is one of the most common and I’ve seen them both in the savannah and in coastal areas. They are adaptable to a whole range of habitats needing only access to water and some trees to sleep in.

These little primates are incredibly cheeky and will face up to humans at any opportunity. They raid crops, sneak into tents to see what can be liberated, and if you leave your lunch for too long then you can say goodbye to it.

For some tourists it’s too easy to fall for this act. Give them a scrap off the table or leave some leftovers. This is one of the worst things that we, as visitors to the vervet’s habitat, can do. It’s a wild animal and should always be treated as such. If tourists make it too easy for them to find food then they’ll lose their natural hunting instincts and come to rely on humans, which in turn leaves humans who play by the rules and don’t share their food vulnerable to attacks by the monkeys who have come to expect treats.

A lose lose situation all round. So – by all means coo over the fact that the vervet is a cute little beast, but don’t forget it’s a wild one too and respect it as such.