Monkey Attack



Before the attack

There was a time when I was completely comfortable getting down on the ground in front of a vervet monkey taking photos then following him or her around camp to take more. I have several close pictures to prove that there was a time I did not fear primates.

That all changed during a trip to Kruger National Park in South Africa in 2007. I was staying at Letaba camp and walking mid-day from my hut to the perimeter of the camp to sit on a bench quietly and read, carrying only my camera and a book.  Being that I was alone I stayed aware even though I was in a fenced camp. After all, I thought, if primates could use the trees to get into camp so could a leopard. And if the occasional impala can wander past the gate guard I imagine a lion could too.

I looked ahead as I walked to see what was around and noticed a man sitting on a bench eating lunch reading the paper. There was a bench to his left that was empty which is where I was headed when I noticed the troop of vervet monkeys playing in low hanging branches of the trees between the bench and myself. I walked casually toward the bench when suddenly one of the monkeys dropped out of a branch ahead and to my left. The balance of the troop was to my right. As I passed the monkey that was now on the ground I looked down at him and smiled. That's when everything very changed.

The monkey smiled back - I later learned smiling or showing your teeth is a sign of aggression in monkey lingo - then he screeched a sound I shall not soon forget and came for me. He ran for me then reached out towards my ankles and tried to grab my leg.  As his mouth got close to my leg his mouth opened. It was obvious he was trying to bite me. I began to dance a jig that if filmed would have won America's Got Talent or more likely World’s Funniest Videos while screaming a girl scream I didn't know I had.  The scream got the attention of the man eating lunch on the nearby bench who dropped his food and came running towards me. I ran for him as well and when we met I began to use him as a shield between me and the monkey who was still intent on getting to me until another monkey discovered the man had dropped food and yelled to announce that fact. Thank God that monkeys' announcement diverted my attackers’ attention and he too went for the food stopping his attack.


Letaba - the scene of the attack!

Come to find out, the man, my hero, was a ranger. As we walked to the cafeteria where I bought him a replacement lunch he told me what I did wrong. First, I parted this male from his troop. Then I looked the monkey in the eyes and smiled; both signs of aggression. It is said that if you do get attacked by something in Africa you probably did something wrong to deserve it. I don't know about deserving it, but I definitely did wrong and I almost paid the ultimate price of being bitten by this cute vervet monkey.



How can an animal so cute be so vicious?

I still today pay a price. The price I pay is a new found fear of primates. I have a hard time coming out of my hut or tent if primates are in the area. I stay in my car if monkeys are nearby waiting for the troop to move on before coming out. It's a learned behavior that I am making an effort to unlearn. Before this experience I was in their face with no issue on several occasions. One bad event can change everything. Can it be changed back?