Too much monkey business

Gallery

KNYSNA NEWS - Residents in central Knysna are fed up with "aggressive and invasive" vervet monkeys wreaking havoc in the area, exacerbated by some residents who illegally feed them.

The problem has become so serious that the area's neighbourhood watch (NHW) committee has called on CapeNature to deal decisively with residents who continue feeding the animals.

"Some offending neighbours have persisted in intentionally feeding monkeys even after being politely approached and CapeNature has taken statements, along with evidence, and we will be calling on these neighbours in due course," reads a letter to residents circulated by the committee.

Photo gallery: Monkeys monkey around

Calling attention to "a criminal activity taking place in Upper Town resulting in a great deal of distress and discomfort in our homes", it states: "It is not fair that the majority of the neighbourhood should suffer due to the irresponsible actions of a select few."

The action was prompted after complaints were received from 14 different residents in High, Newton, Voortrekker, Hill and League streets.

Prosecution for offenders
"As with baboons, vervet monkeys are opportunistic animals and will become problematic if they gain access to food," CapeNature's Barend le Roux told Knysna-Plett Herald this week. "The feeding of primates is an offence in terms of Section 42(A) of Provincial Proclamation 955/1975 and offenders can be prosecuted," said Le Roux.

For a first offence, he explained, a fine of R2 500 is payable, and for a second offence, perpetrators would need to present themselves before a court, which will determine the penalty.

As a regulation within the ambit of environmental offences, the law allows for a fine of up to R40 000 or one year imprisonment.

Upper Town NHW chair Cundell Statt said he is concerned that people are not aware of the ramifications – both legal and physical – of feeding the monkeys. "I have seen residents – adults and children – feeding them fruit," he said, citing examples of the monkeys' increasingly aggressive behaviour. "Some residents have chickens on their property, and the monkeys have gone so far as to attack the chickens and some dogs too."

High Street resident Gill Cremer corroborated this experience: "There have been times when the monkeys would climb onto my garage and taunt my dogs by throwing objects such as fruit at them," she said.

Knysna's Upper Town suburb is being invaded by vervet monkeys, say residents.

'This year is the worst'
"If I close my kitchen window while I'm away, they've learnt to make their way to the kitchen by climbing through my bathroom window, taking the food, and then making their way out," Cremer said. "But even if I'm home, they'll reach my window, look at me, still steal the food and sit outside my window and eat it in full view of me. I've lived here for three years, and this year is the worst it's been."

According to CapeNature official Carlo van Tonder, feeding monkeys will cause them to become accustomed to obtaining food from humans and result in them approaching people or entering houses. Van Tonder stated that receiving constant supplementary food from humans will result in primates "entering houses and threatening adults and children to obtain food".

In its letter to residents, the NHW committee states: "It is not right that we should have to live like prisoners in our homes, by keeping doors and windows shut." The letter says that in discussions with Cape Nature "it is confirmed that this is not a monkey issue but a human issue, caused by a handful of people, who are creating an easy food source for the animals."

The correspondence also stresses that the feeding of monkeys not only amounts to creating a public nuisance and putting neighbour's physical safety at risk but that it also "endangers the monkeys" themselves.

"Should a monkey attack someone it will then lead to the necessity to capture and relocate the entire troupe and potentially destroy that animal."

The committee has called on anyone who witnesses a neighbour feeding vervet monkeys to let it know so that it can institute immediate action against the perpetrators.