Watch out for Baboons! and other Hluhluwe Game Reserve, South Africa Warning Or Danger Tips

Baboons have been known to climb on cars and put their hands through the windows. The male baboons can be quite vicious if provoked so be careful when trying to sidle up to a troop with their young. The males are dominant and have no problem in coming up to the car to investigate! We always wind our windows up when approaching troops of baboons - especially if we slow down or stop to watch them.

Mostly, they will ignore you, but they are curious creatures and I have seen many over the years on the top of car bonnets enjoying the view through the windscreen!

Baboons are my favorite creatures, I love to sit and watch them interact with one another for hours. You will notice the younger males act as "look out scouts" and you will usually spot them first, and then see the rest of the troop nearby. The young hang from their mum's chests, hands clinging tightly to her fur, or they rest on top of her back, arms and legs dangling on either side. They are very cute when they are little and I love their big pink ears!

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On our last visit we stayed at Mpila Camp in one of the rondavels. As mum and I took a wander through the campsite, we saw some vervet monkeys run up to the open boot of someone's car, leap inside and begin rifling through their belongings! We ran up and shoo-ed them off but not before one of them darted away with something in his hands!

As if that wasn't enough, the group of them then ran up to one of the rondavels, and climbed in through the window! The door was locked so they had a bit of a field day inside, looting the fridge (so keep the latch closed on it!) and eating fruit from the bowl on the table. We asked around but none of the people nearby knew who was staying in the monkey-filled rondavel...they were in for a shock when they came back from their day in the bush!

As for the boot looting...one of the gents near by fessed up to leaving his boot open and went along to find his bottle of whisky missing!

So you are warned: Keep your doors and windows closed when you are out for the day - monkeys are scavengers!

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