Vervet monkeys were a common feature of my childhood and young adult life in South Africa. They were regular visitors and would steal things through an open window if given half a chance. Once while sitting in the living room of our small townhouse I felt an earth tremor that had rattled the tiles on the roof and went through to the bedroom where my wife was reading to ask if she had felt it. She had heard the rattling tiles and assumed it was just a monkey on the roof, an occurrence far more likely than an earth tremor, unlike in New Zealand where earth tremors are infinitely more likely than a monkey on the roof!

Camping out in the bush our main concern around camp security was prowling large game, especially at night. It was with some surprise then that we were victims of a lightning strike raid by a vervet monkey. We were sitting at the table in the dining tent having an afternoon drink and preparing for a drive when a monkey dashed into the one open end of the tent, ran along the table behind us and scooped up an apple as it passed leaving through the opposite open tent end without a pause. It then ran up a tree and enjoyed the fruit.

We communicated our displeasure by chasing it away to the margin of camp with a few lobbed clods of earth to try and discourage a repeat raid. It seemed to work as it didn’t return.

Photos with Nikon Z9 and Nikkor Z 180-600mm f5.6-6.3 VR