I FIND the letter in the Highway Mail (dated 18th August) regarding the vervets in our suburbs to be quite ill-informed.
The sentiments expressed reflect a sad lack of knowledge about our primate cousins and their behaviours. I would appreciate scientific evidence from “Pestered” that the number of vervets is increasing.
All studies conducted, and all the evidence collected by people working with the monkeys, show that their numbers are drastically declining. There are many natural and unnatural hazards that they face every day in their battle to survive and raise their young.
I have two troops that visit and having lived with them for nearly 30 years I have witnessed the decline in their numbers as well as the forced changes to their foraging behaviour as more and more of their natural food sources are chopped down and dug up.
There are easy ways to appreciate and live happily with the vervets. Research it, and I’m sure there’ll be plenty of advice on this page.
Shirley Friedman
Westville
