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APES CHATTER 2ND QUARTER 09
Hello everyone hopefully you are all well. Herewith the latest on the comings and goings at APES.
MONKEYS: All are well touch wood except for a few nips and bites here and there.
NGOME: I cannot believe what a pleasure this monkey is there is no aggression though having been brought with human contact he will not allow anyone to try to pat him at all, he is always a “guardian’ of the younger ones especially Willo and Buddy.
BUDDY:Vovo our help is convinced that when this young man grows up he will be another Paddy, (heaven forbid) he at the moment is such a show off and does test his will against anyone that he thinks must be put in their place be it human or other. Buddy also has the same habit as Paddy did he actually “speaks” if asked if he wants his bottle a very clear “ja’ is uttered much to the amazement of people who hear him. He does get into trouble at times but has learnt to sprint off at a pace that would make any runner extremely jealous! Of course still being a youngster he does look for help from me (as his human surrogate mum) or in some cases Mandy, who has always been very caring where he is concerned even though she had one of the same age group she was Helen-Teri, who has passed away as previously reported.
WILLO: This young lady is firmly under the impression that she is ‘royal” and demands that all in sundry knows this especially where the human factor is concerned, however she he does have respect for the older females in the troop, and if there is any confrontation she is very quick to hide to do the disappearing act! Willo is still tiny compared to the other youngsters but is certainly not timid far from it and will put Buddy firmly in his place, I think that being inside as tinies they much have seem too much wrestling or is it the other way around the wrestling fraternity have been watching the primates at play and copied them? Both Buddy and Willo still come in at night due their age and the extremely cold weather we have experienced this season but both are showing signs of wanting to be out permanently and will be doing so as soon as possible as any other of our orphaned infants have done in the past. These two are still having their “bottle’ early morning and in the even but we have noticed they are drinking less and less. As human children the vervet I infants are all different some refuse their bottle at an early age other still require it!
EYELESS: Has also been invited to be in doors at night for the last month or so again due to her age and the cold weather, of course at first it was a nightmare catching her with out too much stress even though nearly totally blind now her other senses are extremely acute to say the least. Anyway she has progressed and often finds her own way into the rescue cage, not to mention the fact that she is getting quite portly and carrying her is quite an effort if one has to manage on their own.
MAY-MAY & SCAR: These two ladies do miss Eyeless and it is quite comical to see them waiting for her return in the morning both have had a couple of nips due to lady Mandy managing to find an entrance into their enclosure but nothing dramatic happened, Scar does bate the outside troop and perhaps this was a way of Mandy putting her in her place.May-May very wisely hid in the long grass in the adjoining “play enclosure”,.Vovo bless him ever vigilant rushed in to report the break in and soon found and secured the gap where Mandy had entered. I often think if there was a person with a video camera hidden they would get some quite hilarious shots of us all galloping along like two year olds when ever these is a drama or such like about to unfold!
LES:What can I say? He is a ladies man and seems to fancy certain of our volunteers, Maria Kelly being the most sort after, when ever she took the food out he was their ready to place himself firmly on her shoulder, and if he fancied a bit from the tray of food helped himself reluctantly hopping off when Maria lent forward, cleaver girl Maria and thanks for being so understanding Les is also a great protector of the younger lot and heaven help anyone trying to catch or pat one.
FRANKIE 2: He is another N2, our Alpha male who was killed in Muden and not at all like his father Bobby who has gone off as well. Anything that is different is whisked away and examined thoroughly, this has happened to one or two of the volunteers who have been warned not to leave cell phones camera’s etc lying around they will see disappear up the nearest tree to be thoroughly examined and with a bit of luck not be totally destroyed!
KAREN : Who is still the alpha female rules the troop with an ‘ iron rod” so to speak and still hasn’t forgiven Rodney and still blames him regarding the death of her infant who was electrocuted over a year ago, these primates have fantastic memories! She also proves with out any doubt though the “experts say that vervets do not vocalize volunterrioraly only warning noises, , Despite her terrorizing of Rod she regularly talks to him through the barred windows or doors he to answers her and I only wish I could interpret what was being said.
MANDY: She is the only one from the adult troop that will come to be voluntarily she seems to want my attention on a regular basis perhaps because she does get a special treat now and again and has a great passion for bananas her favorites.
THOMBI: Now is really showing her age as the great grand mother of the troop, Big boy is very kind to her as is Logie the females will occasionally groom her but most of the time she is ignored, excepting when there are youngsters around they are well cared for by her and her adopted daughter Amy.
SHERRI : Is pregnant and looks like a walking ball, her constant companions Les and Chris2 are her so called protectors her little one Wayne-Paul her infant from last year is too tiny for words but also things he is a giant among the younger set. Why you ask as he got two names. Well, when he was born two male friends of ours asked for a monkey to be named after them and as the others were females we obliged and named the next male born after them.
BIGBOY: So aptly named by Vovo, is still with us much preferring the so called domestic life to the one in the bush, he does disappear now and again though, me things this fellow has another family hidden in the bush somewhere!
LOGIE: Is definitely an uncle to all and really isn’t a threat to any of the males we have, I quite honestly think due to the very bad treatment he received when his mother was killed and was practically new born and then being feed on a mixture of maize porridge cows milk and coka cola has done damage as he seems “retarded” in his behaviour. He is a beautiful specimen though with a glorious mane of fun surrounding his head and face. Even though he might be slightly retarded he still gets agitated if the young ones or anyone is threatened etc.
DOGS & CATS:
ADOLPH: Is getting very old now still loves to see new people and less tolerant of his doggie family. The cats and kittens are aware that it is wise to give him a wide birth when ever they are anywhere near him.
KHOBOTOHO: Is a mobile eating machine and has developed the ridiculous habit of ‘squeaking” like an infant pup when ever he hears dishes rattle or his things there might me a scrap or two dropped on the floor. Watching demolish his food is a sight to be hold before any of the others have had a mouth full he has finished. I must say he has a very endearing habit of cuddling Buttons, Goldie the younger dogs whenever they are all sleeping in the office but he also thinks he is the size of a miniature poodle and will curl up in a banana box a sight to behold!
LANDIE: Has now decided that he can talk and makes breathless “woffie” noises when told to speak or say thank you, quite endearing He too thinks he is a tiny wee dog and folds up somehow into a banana book as well,
MAGGIE: She really things she is superior and aloof but can also be a bat at times.
DINGBAT: She seems the most obedient of them all thank heavens for small mercies!
ELLIEMAY: she drives me insane with her chatter and noises especially at feed time a high excitable females this.
GOLDIE: Aptly named a scatter brain peering through a golden fringe but lovable too
BUTTONS: Though she is the smallest of all she is a fireball and definitely not a lap dog as the scruffier she is the happier she is.
NASHER: She has the most beautiful eyes almond shaped dark brown and it looks has if she has used eyeliner very beautiful. She is the great protector of Ferdenande the young bull. They are inseparable and she even tries to bring him into to the office at night to sleep, a definite no, no I am afraid, can you imagine a full grown bull who thinks he is a dog being in doors?
UGIE: What can I say she still sleeps all day condescends to go outside to do her business and soon hurries back to her “box on the chair in the lounge her permanent home? Well she is entitled to be eccentric though she is very old but certainly does not forget to get up for her meals!
All the cats and kittens are fine the four youngsters,SOCKS, BOOTS SHADOW and CHRISTOPHER too are the naughtiest animals I have ever had the toilet roll now has to be tied up high for fear of being spread around the house, this has happened on numerous times and at night it is like a rugby field things are chased around and around in the morning one has to be careful not to land on their butt falling over all the “toys’ that have appeared over night. Mum HERCULES (forgive the name we thought she was a boy when tiny) looks on with pride at her brood!. Oh I forgot to say we have met the father named Thomas lovely friendly young tom who will be caught soon to visit the vet for obvious reasons, no more kittens PLEASE! HEALY talkative as ever but definitely aging fast, BUSHCAT looks like a furry drum as she is so fat and her idea of heaven is lying in Rods arms totally relaxed and if she could she would stay there twenty four hours a day SMUDGE spends most of her time outside hunting but honours us with her presence at mealtimes. CHEETA is far friendlier towards us now and will allow me to pick him up if he feels like it that is! AMBER is still the lady of the house and detests the invasion of kittens hissing and spitting at them much to their amusement She spends most of her time in the office l ceiling, why I have no idea!
POULTRY: All fine now that spring is around the corner a lot of activity. The geese are sitting so might be some goslings shortly Ducks are busy hiding their eggs and as we don’t need anymore mouths to feed we have a hide and seek situation not sure who is winning them or us!
OTHERS: All well. Excepting the loss of NAKERLESS the old bull belong to one of community members, he was the same one that was bitten by a snake and Rod managed to save him with various medication a catheter made from a fuel pipe line of a Landrover to assist him to pass water etc. Well he was fine after a few weeks, and seemed to get over his major catastrophe and proceeded to eat well and soon became a favourite enjoying being hand fed with tasty tit bits, cake etc . He fell ill a week or so ago eventually stayed down but was eating well we did not have the heart to put him down because he seemed to be progressing, but unfortunately he died a few days ago, extremely sad but we managed to give him almost a year extra of luxury living here at the sanctuary. BONES (Volvo’s cow) decided to join us again to be with her adopted daughter SNOWY who was delighted to see her, it was quite amazing to see them meet again.
FERDERNANDE: Everyones favoourite, he is a character and definitely doesn’t know he is a bovine. Takes great delight in chasing and playing with the dogs and will gallop tossing his legs and head when doing so He also enjoys human company takes delight in butting the volunteers or, gentle of course and often finds his way into the house before you know it he is lying down in the office or strolling about in the kitchen or lounge! What a job to remove him too. I have decided that I will ride him one day this should be a sight for sore eyes don’t you think?
VOLUNTEERS: We have been blessed thank goodness with couple of fantastic people who really have helped in many ways but alas we have also had those who have literally made our lives and other volunteers hell! for example, An English girl visiting Cape Town phoned and said she was “desperate to be at APES for 6 weeks, arrived virtually unannounced Two days later when one of the volunteers went to fetch her for her duties they found she had disappeared then when looking for the forms in regard to her personal information etc that were in my office found that she had been into my files and removed any reference or information about herself and she had also given me a false cell phone number, The worst of it was she had not paid a cent either. It is so very sad because in the long it isn’t only the humans who suffer but all at the sanctuary as well. Hopefully the guilty person concerned will one day realize that she cannot go through life conning others it will be pay back time one day! Please any prospective volunteers who may read this on the website remember if you make enquires regarding a position at APES and decide not to accept PLEASE do let us know whether you are going to accept or not, it costs the sanctuary money to send you all the info and we are grateful for your interest, we rely on our volunteer programme to survive, to keep going and doing what we do for the rural community and animals alike We might not be the biggest venue in the world but we offer personal attention and care what happens to our volunteers we are no just into having a huge bank balance and to blazes with what the volunteers like or dislike. WE CARE!
THANK YOU FOR READING OUR LATEST CHATTER.
BEST WISHES FROM ALL AT APES
ADENDUM: Yippee! Buddy spent his first night out with the outside troop no ill effects 25/08/09
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