ENJOYING THE COMPANY OF OUR MONKEY FRIENDS AT CAMPSITES

March 2023

Monkeys and baboons play an integral part in keeping the ecosystem going. Without them there will be fewer forests and wildflowers, large parts of the ecosystem will simply collapse. Out in nature they are enjoyable to watch and make our camping experience so much more eventful.

However, sometimes these animals can become a nuisance at campsites. It is not uncommon to find tents and caravans damaged and raided when they have passed through a camp.

Still, we need to remind ourselves that we are temporary visitors to their habitat. It is therefore better to be prepared when encountering them; this way you will enjoy each other’s company and your holiday won’t turn into a monkey nightmare.

Here are a few suggestions that can make your stay amongst the monkey population much more enjoyable.

• Monkeys and baboons are wild and dangerous, when encountering them do not approach or provoke them. Often a simple shout or clap of your hands will scare them away. Children should not be allowed near monkeys and baboons.
• DO NOT FEED MONKEYS OR BABOONS! They will become clumsily socialized and soon you will find them sitting uninvited at your dinner table.
• Do some research before visiting a campsite. Talk to other campers and find out if they experienced any monkey problems, and if so, how severe the problem was.
• When making a booking ask staff and management if there are monkeys and baboons present at the campsite and what precautionary measures you can take.

If you are camping in a tent and going to leave your tent unattended for a few hours:

• Make sure there is no food, including cooldrink containers and other valuables, lying around inside that might attract the attention of unwelcome visitors.
• Put everything away in a safe place such as a car or preferably lockable steel or thick plastic containers. Monkeys can bite through thin plastic containers.
• Ask other campers to keep a lookout for these animals. Most campers understand the problems associated with monkeys and baboons so don’t hesitate to ask your neighbours to keep an eye.
• If you are a few people camping together at a campsite where there are well-known monkey problems just leave one or two people behind at the tents.
• Consider leaving the tent flaps and doors slightly open so that these animals can freely go in and out. As soon as you return just inspect the inside of your tent thoroughly to make sure that there are no other slithering companions that might have crawled inside the tent. It is far cheaper than replacing zips and tents.
• Schedule your trips. We recently camped at Bontle camp in Marakele National Park and realized the monkeys there pass through the campsite during the early mornings and late afternoons. Schedule your trips in between these times. Just note that this might not always be possible as some camps have large populations of monkeys and baboons all day round.
• Caravan campers should make sure that all the doors and windows are properly locked, and curtains are drawn so nobody can see inside.
• Drop the roof of the caravan this will prevent monkeys gaining access from above and damage netting and canvas.
• Don't leave any food outside in the tent area.

If you fell victim to a monkey raid:

• Accept this and don’t let it spoil your holiday, especially if the damage to your property is not that severe. You will not be the first and certainly not the last victim.
• Make sure that you thoroughly clean everything that your monkey visitors might have touched. Warm soapy water should be sufficient.
• Do not eat food that was opened, or half eaten by the monkeys, you don’t want to come down later with a severe case of monkey flu.
• Tell us about your monkey experience on social media so that we can be prepared when we visit the same camp.

And remember at a well-managed campsite, it is the responsibility of park rangers and management to address any issues associated with monkeys and baboons in an appropriate manner.

If all else fails, use duct tape to fix the problem. There is nothing that you can’t temporarily fix with duct tape.

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