monkey business

Yesterday we watched two baby warthogs playing on the ‘lawn’. Well it used to be a lawn until their parents, aunties, uncles and cousins got busy last year in the drought. Now parts of it have grass, some are threadbare and some just have a smattering of weeds exposing the bare earthen pot of the ground.

The monkeys were here too and there is one small one that is just at that stage where he ventures away from the mother. Mother was sitting feeding on the pellets we put out, not batting an eyelid whilst her youngest flew about the place, suprising his bigger siblings, leaping into the low branches of the tree, and flying out again. Dive bombing into the long lush grass in the shady bits – still has to learn about monsters that can lurk in the long grass.

The piglets were also trying to find their place in the pecking order, and were running up to monkeys of various size to see if they could chase them away.

We have a whole new brat pack of young monkeys who have grown up around the house. Their early days, clutching onto mothers tummy, peeping in through our windows – watching the bigger ones venture in. So now this is their territory. The bounce all over the cane chairs on the stoep – snuggling into the cushions for a nap – jumping up to terrorise each other.

We bought a toy plastic snake – for some reason we believed it when we were told this would discourage them from coming in the house. Maybe it did for a nano second but that was it. K surprised the brat pack having a party in the kitchen. Luckily there was no food about, but the event was exciting enough for them all to poo liberally about before they scarpered. Nice cleaning up job entailed. Some were artfully hidden and had to be sought out. I keep thinking it would be ok if they didn’t do that, but it wouldn’t really. But when we watch them playing and tumbling about we kind of forget about the bad bits. Isnt that typical?

The porcupine came in the house again the other night. The back door was open and he pottered in. I was busy blogging in here and heard some noises. Popping my head around the corner and there he was coming out of the guest bathroom. All the bedroom doors were open and I didn’t want him to disappear into those and then surprise us in the night, so I scraped my foot lightly. He stopped and listened, and then pottered back out the door the way he had come. No calling cards or nasty mess to clear up. Good boy!