Bad behaviour
The raiders of the camps
Certain animals, though not part of the Big Five, always capture our attention when visiting Kruger National Park—monkeys. Both vervet monkeys and baboons are fascinating to watch, and we often find ourselves stopping the car to observe them for long periods. Is it because they seem so human-like? Do we see reflections of ourselves in their behavior or attitudes? Perhaps, but it's a question best left unanswered 😊.
Monkeys aren’t just spotted while driving; they are also common at many campsites and picnic areas. They often raid trash bins and ‘monkey-proof’ containers, prying them open and scavenging for food. Due to illegal feeding by visitors, monkeys remain in these areas. While they may seem cute, many people don’t realize the dangers they pose to the animals by feeding them. Feeding can lead to aggressive behavior, which may result in the animals being killed. In other cases, the monkeys are sedated and relocated several kilometers away in the hopes they won’t return.
A naughty one
Sadly, monkeys now associate humans with food, and they’re always ready to steal whenever the opportunity arises. This was exactly what happened one sunny Sunday afternoon while we were taking a nap in our cottage at one of the wilderness camps. The bedroom door was open, and suddenly we heard the sound of our water bottles falling in the kitchen. Was it the wind? We thought so and didn’t check.
However, Jacobine felt uneasy and sat up to look into the kitchen. To her surprise—there was a vervet monkey! She leapt out of bed and raced towards the kitchen, just in time to stop the monkey from opening the bags containing our bread and muesli. Startled by her sudden approach, the monkey darted into another bedroom. "Be careful," Greg warned, now awake. "Monkeys can bite, and they might carry rabies!"
Greg quickly got out of bed, grabbed a large knife from the kitchen, and headed to the spare bedroom. But the monkey had already vanished. Soon, we figured out how it had entered and escaped—it had managed to pry open the insect screens, which weren’t properly secured. Monkeys are incredibly clever and will always find a way in—just like the time one jumped through our car window. Only when Greg waved his camera did it jump back out and scramble onto the roof.
Experiences like these remind us that we are truly out in nature, where animals can behave unpredictably. While it keeps us on guard, it certainly doesn’t stop us from enjoying the sight of them—at a safe distance, of course.
Just look at its naughty expression
The one that almost got in our car
