The day started off as it often does at Harnas--with the unexpected. I awoke to a large clattering outside, got up and looked out my window. I was surrounded by big baboons. Since this is not the first time this has happened to me (how many people do you know who can say that?) I first made sure all the doors and windows were locked. Then I took a couple of pictures. This one above is of a big male sitting on my wall, eating cat food out of the bowl that sits outside my house. I watched them all for awhile, aware that I couldn't leave the house until they were gone. Mature baboons have the strength of 7 men, so they're not to be fooled with. After about 30 minutes, some bushmen realized what was happening and they came with rakes and chased them back into their enclosure. No word about whether the power was out or if they just decided to come visit.
I spent the morning running around in the hot sun, seeing animals of all kinds--cheetahs, lions, hyena pups, civet kittens, dogs, cats, etc. I'll say more on those another day.
I was watching the teenage baboons play in their enclosure when a volunteer came by with the brand new baby baboon--Johnny (the J pronounced here like a Y, so it's more like Yonny). He's so tiny and we immediately bonded. The vol asked if I could watch him for awhile, and I agreed (of course), so I got to play with him for about an hour. He loved to climb the tree and jump into my arms (sometimes on my face). Finally, he became exhausted and fell asleep in my arms. What a treat. When he woke up he gave me baboon kisses (which include sticking his tongue in my mouth) and then I took him to his caretaker for his bottle. What a wonderful day! The pros and cons of loving baboons!
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