Africa Wild

Being from Florida, our only encounter with wildlife stealing from us are the omnipresent mosquitos furtively slurping unsuspecting red corpuscles. Looking over one's shoulder every other second here, is considered paranoia, but in Africa, it's essential.

We could have used some of your advice, years ago before our first visit, given our history of being on the losing end of simian antics.

I'd like to hear everyone's stories about their encounters with our wily primate cohabitants, whether funny or far from being so.

Over 20 years ago, SO and I made our first trip to Africa, visiting Ngorongoro Crater. At the picnic site (Lerai Forest?), you are allowed out of your car in an unfenced area.

We quickly chose a fallen log to sit on while enjoying our hoagie sandwiches. The split second SO unwrapped his, and attempted his first bite, a Black Kite, faster than the speed of light and with laser-like precision, torpedo bombed his mouth, splitting this upper lip.

That part wasn't so funny, but the unexpected, unwelcome attack set off a chain-reaction that was slightly more amusing. SO did a backward flip off the log, feet flailing over his head, causing him to drop his hoagie. A monkey appeared "out of nowhere", grabbed the sandwich, scurried up a nearby tree, and devoured the hoagie, all the while sneering triumphantly at my SO as he laid splayed out on the ground and at me as I doubled over in laughter.



It's either karma that the monkey stole from the thieving Kite, or the scheming tag-team had been working in tandem on this maneuver (Dewey Screwum & Howe).

Excellent, Ex!

Must think a bit about monkey encounters, but they are wary of adult male humans more, especially ones who they can see have had some "tea"? they are very sharp!

ExFmem, I see you were so concerned about SO that you even took a pic of the culprit!!

Ouch! Why on earth will that kite attack the mouth / lip of someone...

How did hubby take the fact that you were laughing rather than feeling sorry for him and trying to console him instead?
(After all he is a man and we know how men can suffer!)

Very good story!

We had that cheeky vervet at Matyholweni camp in Addo last March that was checking out our table from above, aka the roof.
When we looked at it threateningly, it just copied us and did the same back to us It seriously pretended to attack us the next minute.
But eventually little cheek moved off because there was no food to be stolen.

Mel, I would assume the kite was trying to grab the food. Years ago we were eating breakfast at Olifants camp and a kite swooped down and grabbed a pork sausage from my brother's hand!

Very opportunistic

Mel - we learned later that the kites are a real problem at the picnic site - very brazen! I suppose its talon must have clipped SO's lip as it grabbed for the sandwich.

As far as me laughing and not consoling - it all happened so quickly I didn't know he was hurt (couldn't see his lips during his backward somersault ) He also immediately knew it was quite a funny scene and after being dazed for a minute, we were laughing so hard together. I have him on video telling the story very shortly after that in a redneck twang (you know, they're always pulling stupid stunts preceeded by "Watch this!!" )

I really thought EVERYONE would have some monkey-wars tales . I guess we're the only dufusses (dufussi?) in Africa.

This one happened at Berg n Dahl while SO was loading the car to move to another camp. I was photographing birds, (since I'm a Diva and don't do manual labor ). I suddenly hear SO yelling some not-so-ladylike words and see him running towards the car. It seems a monkey had gotten inside and stolen his popcorn.

You might get away with taking his first born, or me, but DO NOT touch his popcorn. Doing what any REAL man would do, he threw the nearest object at the running monkey. His beer bottle.

So now, not only did the monkey have a tasty snack, but also a nice cold puddle of beer to wash it all down.

And SO got to clean up all the mess while I tried to stifle my giggles.



I dutifully fetched him another beer, 'cause that Diva thing exists only in my own head.

I just LOVE your humour, ExFmem! And you never spare yourself either

Hope there are some more stories to come!