Monkey Problems

All this Monkey-ing Around!

Culinary Kings, the monkeys? – uh, uh – NOT!

All this Monkey-ing Around! This very cheeky monkey is giving me the eye! He is hiding behind some wire with a stolen banana he stole from the younger monkey who took it from my tree. 

The monkeys are becoming quite brazen and gather at the bottom of the garden waiting for the chance to dash into the banana palms to “tief” a banana or three. The various troupes passing through our area are getting bigger; on Saturday there were about 15 in the garden!

While I don’t mind – in fact rather enjoy – seeing these critters they are becoming a bit of a problem. I recently found a monkey in the net cage I built around my tomatoes; I had been wondering why/who/what was taking the new wee green ones. I thought it was the iguanas but no, it is the monkeys. They worked out my “not-so-clever” entrance way!

 

The monkeys have eaten the squash, and tomatoes. The iguanas ate the kale, the chard leaves and the beans. There are so few plants left but I think I have the netting more secure.

 

 

Can you spot the tail of one monkey?

The younger ones snuck in to do the dirty deed and then made off with a banana. A larger one would intercept by diving in and snatching it away. The smaller one would look a little bewildered and turn back to make another steal!

 

 

You can see how they have stripped a bunch of fat, but still green, bananas from a good sized bunch.

 

 

As it is Earth Day I gave the pesky monkeys a reprieve. Truth be told, I could do little else. It was interesting to watch how the larger monkeys sent in the smaller ones to do the naughty work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of babies hiding in the new growth on the avo tree.

I have made a bit of a “Heath Robinson” attempt at protecting the other bunches which are somewhat smaller. It better bloody-well work!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rescued banana flowers – perhaps I will make a Thai salad with it.