For the most part, I found baboons and monkeys to be sort of cute, and very easy to anthropomorphize. That changed on our last safari day, at Lake Eyasi. I had a 5 pound bag of rice sealed in a 2 gallon ziplock bag. The rice had been in the 'safari bag' that I used as my tripod, since filled with rice and sitting on the window ledge, it gave me the perfect surface to balance and steady my long lens. I had emptied the bag of its rice and put it in the plastic bag to give to our driver who would find the rice a good home. Unfortunately, in the 20 minutes we left the tent for b'fast (sealing it up well, we thought), monkey(s) entered, tore open the rice bag, and made a general mess of it. When Jim told the management about the mess in the tent, they just smiled and said, "this isn't the first time." Apparently, like some rodents, monkeys can wiggle into the tiniest of openings (like between the velcro straps that seal the tent). So, less cute and human-like in hindsight!
Thanks for your thoughts and comments on the leopard in the tree with the huge tummy! He certainly seemed content!
A great shot and title with a fabulous story. In some areas around CT, there is a plague of baboons entering peoples homes and pilfering! They are not liked here at all ;-)
I know it looks so sweet and kissy kissy but he is probably saying 'If we nip round to Taffy's place, there is a bag of rice round there and we can have lots of fun with it'
@onewing What a great comment! and @ludwigsdiana that's so interesting as well! Travel is so enlightening, and for us back at home, all the better when said traveler can bring back good photos for us! Delightful, Taffy!
Hmmm - they look happy to be interacting with each other - but they have very cunning eyes!! I wouldn't trust that taller one as far as I could throw him!! great animal portraits!
I guess any food is fair game to either eat or play with! I keep a bag of rice with me not for the camera.......though that is a superb idea..... it is for putting phones or other electrical equipment in if they get wet! 2 days in a bag of rice without attempting to switch on or off and most things will recover enough to function again.
That sounds like a great trick you used with the rice, but an unfortunate one that those monkeys played on you. What a shame! Of course the image is a delight. Butter wouldn't melt …..
Oh dear, pity about all that waste. Wherever I've been anywhere near monkeys I've been very wary of them. Apart from anything else in places like Bali they carry rabies.
Wonderful image and great story! Naughty monkeys! I would never drive through the monkey enclosure at our safari park as the monkeys steel anything they can remove from your car!
What a sweet shot, I love your title!