Vervet Monkeys
What You Need To Know
They do NOT attack people or pets! Vervets will threaten any person or other animal they regard as an immediate threat to their safety or that of a fellow troop member, but these threats are intended merely to warn off a possible aggressor and are not carried through to actual attack. Vervets do not attack, but they will bite in self-defence if they are attacked. Concerm that vervets will bite children who encounter them in the garden or home are unfounded. Thousands of children experience close encounters with vervets in KwaZulu-Natal every day - none get bitten!
They do not transmit diseases! Fears that vervets are carriers of rabies or other diseases that can be transmitted to humans are unfounded. There has never been a recorded case of a rabid vervet. This can be confirmed by the State Vet.
How to deal with an "unwanted" vervet presence
- Use your hosepipe to squirt them, or a water pistol.
- Vervets are easily shooed away simply by walking towards them and waving a small towel or dishcloth. Don't be intimidated if they stand their ground and threaten you. They will turn tail and flee as you get closer.
- Monkeys are naturally wary of snakes, so realistic rubber snakes placed around your home or garden can discourage them. Don't leave a rubber snake in the same spot too long otherwise the vervets will get used to its immobility and ignore it.
- Pointing a gun-like object at them will usually send them scurrying away.
- Dogs can be a deterrent to vervets. However if a dog does actually catch a ververt this could result in very serious injury to the dog and vervet. Dogs should be trained not to physically attack the vervets.
- Vervets fear men more than they do women, so wherever possible the vervets should be chased away by men.
- Dog food left over after the dog has eaten or which is left out all day will be eaten by vervets.
- If you feed the wild birds, try to do so at random times, so that there is no routine that the vervets can get accustomed to.
How to prevent possible injury:
The only people ever likely to be bitten by a vervet are those who tease or attempt to catch them. If you do not interfere with vervets you will not be bitten. In almost every case where a dog is bitten this has happended because the dog attacked the vervet.
- Don't ever try to catch a vervet or its baby.
- Never deliberately corner a vervet in a situation where it feels threatened.
- Don't stare directly at a vervet - they threaten one another by staring and you staring could be considered threatening.
- If you feel threatened by a vervet do not turn your back on it. Back away slowly whilst continuing to face it.
For more information or assistance with injury, sick or orphaned monkeys, contact Steve Smit or Carol Booth on: 082-659-4711 or 082-411-5444 (all hours) or 031-266-3376. E-mail: steve@animalrightsafrica.org
(The above sourced from Venice Neighbourhood Watch newsletter, Summer 2007)
For more information on vervets and how to live with them, see the following:
Vervet monkey rescue from Medunsa
Vervet Monkey Foundation