Ballito resident Dee Gray writes:
It is up to each of us to educate ourselves and our families on the African Vervet monkey.
Please be reminded that it is illegal to shoot these animals (within municipal boundaries – Ed.), or injure them.
They have lived alongside us here in my Ballito home for around 15 years. Our garden is part of their foraging trail.
They have been in the area for more than 100 years.
We enjoy the fact our garden offers a variety of food sources for them. We know too that they spread seeds that plant and grow new trees, hence the beautiful Ballito we have through their healthy deposits.
We have watched our Townsend troop over the years, witnessing the males fight to mate with the females around May and June, with the offspring born around November and December.
The females only have one offspring a year, not like rabbits or cats.
We have watched our troop become smaller each year and notice many monkeys without an eye, arm or tail.
We have heard of people, some new to the area from the city, shooting at our troop and some parents allowing their children to shoot stones at them using slingshots.
This promotes the wrong mindset among the future generation regarding the role these animals have in nature.
If you are a new Ballito resident, please read up about these amazing animals yourself. Do not listen to the negative untruths that circulate.
We have also seen people buy homes and cut down the surrounding trees to keep the monkeys away. Developments in the area are also pushing them away from there foraging trail, compounded by electric fencing and other measures.
Monkeys used to enjoy lush banana and paw-paw trees, which you hardly find in the area today.
I have been called to rescue a vervet burned by electricity at a sub-station, it was in so much pain and the vet was able to place him out of his misery.
If we want to share in caring for the environment, it goes beyond picking up litter.
Stop cutting down our trees and shrubs. Let’s plant new ones. They are the food source to monkeys, bush babies and birds.
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