Dolphin Coast monkey problem out of control

The monkey problem on the Dolphin Coast appears to be insoluble – without culling.

Town dwellers are fed-up with the large troops that sometimes invade houses to find food, yet it is human settlement that has caused the problem.

This was once again highlighted when a monkey was recently shot dead with a metal arrow in Minerva Road, Ballito.

Dolphin Coast SPCA’s inspector and branch manager, Debbie Filmalter said this was one of four monkey violence incidents in the past month alone.

“Cruelty to monkeys is getting out of hand. A monkey was poisoned in Seatides, another person put tacks on their roof in Umdloti, injuring the monkeys’ paws and fire crackers were thrown at monkeys in Stanger. We will not hesitate to prosecute anyone who has been cruel to monkeys,” said Filmalter.

Nature conservationist Neville Wolmarans says the reduction of forested areas meant that instead of the ideal situation of four and a half hectares of dune forest per monkey, there are now about 70 monkeys per hectare.

 “I do not condone any form of cruelty to animals or humans, but we need to make some hard decisions when it comes to the monkey problem on the Dolphin Coast,” said Wolmarans, who has been keeping an eye on the changes monkeys have gone through because of the changing habitat.

“A monkey’s diet should consist of about 80 per cent veg and fruit and 20 per cent meat. Our monkeys now live on probably 70 per cent meat and 30 per cent veg and fruit. This huge increase in protein in their diets means their testosterone levels go up, which increases aggression.”

He said most of the monkey maiming seen is caused by monkey-on-monkey violence.

“A monkey troop should consist of the dominant male, five to seven females and two youngsters to a female – about 21 monkeys in a troop.

“Now, we have 70 to 80 monkeys to a troop, because the youngsters are not splitting away as there is not enough space for them.

“This causes a lot of tension, as the dominant male cannot keep the young males under control. It is developing into a Cape Flats gangland.”

While he said there are a few options when it comes to reducing the numbers such as birth control for the males, the most effective, safest and fastest control would be a culling programme.

“Public pressure is cruel to monkeys. We reduce their habitats and then get angry at them for invading our space.

“The only way to prevent more monkey cruelty incidents is to manage the numbers.”

In the meantime, try out these safe ways to chase monkeys off your property: squirt them with a water pistol or squirt bottle; use a nylon bird or hail netting over and around your veggie garden to keep them out or fit lengths of hard plastic piping around the wire at the point where the Vervets access it – as they put weight on the plastic pipe it rolls around the wire so making it impossible for them to climb across it.

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