‘PESTERED Gillitts’ is to be thanked for not approving of cruelty to animals and in this case vervet monkeys. There is a high correlation between people who inflict harm on animals and who will abuse people who are not able to retaliate.
The female vervet reaches maturity in the third/forth year and is in oestrus in mid winter. One infant is born after a six months gestation period in late spring or in summer and +- 30 % will reach maturity as the mortalities are high.
To state unequivocally that monkeys breed in an uncontrolled fashion and produce young at an alarming rate is of interest! Unlike our own species, Homo sapiens, whose numbers increase at the rate of one million every four days and which produces infants throughout the year, vervets breeding cycle is dependant on the hours of daylight.
Vervets used to be found in the whole of Southern Africa where there was bush, forest edge or open savannah. Their habitat is now extremely restricted as it is for many of our indigenous organisms (plants and animals) and an increase in numbers overall has not been recorded in recent years. It is of great concern to primatologists that all primates world wide are under stress from humans and we are all asked to research the animals in our environment and to appreciate their role in the Life Support System on which our species depends.
(Pestered Gillitts refs.) – If your readers wish to research a subject eg ‘Vervet Monkey’, port of calls would be
a ) the internet or if that is not available then
b) the nearest library.
Librarians are exceptionally helpful and will either be able supply reading material immediately or obtain it from inter library services. The librarian would also most probably be able to supply the telephone numbers of local societies/interest groups from which to gain some knowledge and insights of the subject under discussion.
‘Pestered Gillitts’ may wish to contact the following: Monkey Hotline on 084 432 9974, Monkey Helpline on 082 659 4711 or Primate Ecological and Genome Group on 084 584 3330.
Jean Senogles
Westville
