M4: perilous crossing for Vervet Monkeys

‘WE have become the vervet monkey’s natural predator’. That’s the word of Steve Smit, founder of Monkey Helpline. This comes after six male vervets were struck and killed while trying to cross the busy M4 last week.

Smit said monkeys are being forced to cross the busy highway because of the new developments dotting uMhlanga’s landscape, starting at Ilala Ridge and moving northward.

“Vervets can’t move towards uMhlanga because of the buildings that are under construction, so they move downwards, towards the M4, which bisects their territory and inevitably they fall victim to speeding motor vehicles, almost daily.

“Dispersing males are dying by the hundreds, they leave their territories, and to move they have to cross huge, busy freeways and roads, sealing their fate. Monkey Helpline sees less and less adult males surviving to mature males. The average weight of the males rescued has reduced drastically, as these males we pick up are still young,” Smit said.

Some residents have asked why the city hasn’t installed rope bridges to help the vervets cross the busy freeway. However, according to Smit this is not the answer.

“Vervet monkeys are not strictly arboreal, that means they don’t spend their time just in the trees foraging for food. They also spend a good amount of time on the ground looking for morsels of food.

“Rope bridges are not the answer, not on the freeway anyway. It would also impact on trucks using the M4, in terms of height restrictions. We have however, approached the city regarding putting up a rope bridge on Masabalala Yengwa (NMR Avenue) for the troop of monkeys between the Windsor Golf Course and the Durban Country Club,” he said.

Smit added that motorists are also put in danger by vervets running across the freeway.

“This also puts people’s lives at risk, but it’s as a result of us impacting on them and their land. We have become their natural predators,” he concluded.

If you would like to donate to the NPO, visit www.monkeyhelpline.co.za