|
We stood at the edge of the village next to a group of mona monkeys on the
ground. The leader of the monas had established that we were not a useful
source of food and had lost interest in us. As I was trying to bring my
camera to bear, he suddenly saw something interesting in the village behind
me, and I caught the decisive moment.
Next moment, he went loping past me and disappeared around the nearest house.
No doubt there is a downside to living with a colony of wild monkeys as
friendly neighbours, the need for close attention to food being a major
part. However, the enrichment of the social and cultural environment of
the village by the presence of the monkeys would be difficult to overstate.
Imagine what we would lose if the swans in British rivers and lakes fled
at the appearance of a human!