|
 |
 |
|
APES CHATTER LAST QUARTER 2009
What has happened to this year we are already in the last quarter, frightening how time flies by! So much has happened already some sad and some joyful. Life is never dull here at APES.
Big Boy & Family |

Buddy, Willo & Friends |
MONKEYS: All the gang is well, and spend a great deal of time in the bush foraging. New arrivals to the following, Karen, Mandy, Sherry & Ali have all had infants, this season. Karen’s birth is a mystery as she didn’t even look pregnant but one morning low and behold she had a little boy attached! Mandy looked enormous we were convinced she was carrying twins, in fact the mysterious young one with Karen could very easily be Mandy’s other little one which is not an impossibility, he was born a few days after Mandy’s.
Of course there was much excitement from the younger members of the troop seeing all these tines and all want to hold one! Les is the comical male of the troop he actually carried Ali’s little one about on his stomach like a female and oh my so protective too! Ngome who is still a darling is the caretaker of Buddy & Willo who now have spent a few nights out in the “wild” it’s comical to see them check out the weather and if there is any sign of rain you can be sure these two imps will decide indoors is a far better bet! Sometimes however we don’t bother to call them in and leave them to make a choice one evening madam Willo stayed out but there was a clap of thunder a few spots of rain and that was enough to send her scurrying indoors this was at 9.39pm! Of course his lordship Buddy was tucked up in his basket and when I opened it to put Willo in he gave her a nip for waking him, quite comical to witness this. We had a good laugh at Buddy the other day he snuck inside stole empty cotton real that belonged to the kittens as he rushed out the door just like a human he held his stolen treasure out to show Willo before rushing up onto the roof. I imagine one day these two will be a “couple” escorted by big brother Ngome.
Buddy & Vol |

Buddy & Willo
|
Eyeless
|
Eyeless bless her still comes in at night and its amazing to see her when she hears us opening the enclosure she gets ready on a perch and when the carry cage is opened and we tell her ‘come on Eyeless in you get!” she actually climbs in herself with out having to be caught, At 5am she airs her views by barking and has to have her cage cover remove as she senses its daylight. Sometimes during the night I hear her chomping away at a snack or two.
DOGS:

Khoboto, Buttons&ElleyMay
|

Old Dingbat Bodrum Landy & Ugie
|
Landy
|
KHOBOTO,( Machine) as Vovo (our helper) calls him the reason being is that in 1 minute flat he has gobbled his food before any of the others have even eaten a quarter of there’s! A champion at looking daft, tongue lolling out the side of his huge mouth and looking at you with head cocked and a quizzical look in hid eyes! Loveable but oh dear me sometimes I don’t think he has more than one brain cell, but we do love him all the same...
ELLE MAY: nothing fazes this dog and I am sure she needs to be on tranquilizers, she is also extremely talkative making the most weird sounds some times quite human words maybe it’s imagination but I don’t think so. Good heavens I also most forgot the metrical she has learnt to sit when told too can you believe it!
GOLDIE: As scatter brained as ever and has one mission in life, hunting for duck eggs. She does listen though which also comes as a surprise even to her sister Buttons.
BUTTONS: How in the name of heaven these two are sister I have no idea, one is a Maltese x and Goldie is a Cocker Spaniel x anyway Button has one mission in life is to be as scruffy as possible its comical to see the difference when we visit our local haberdashery shop where the third sister lives and she is a pampered little darling pink ribbon and all and so so snooty as well, I must prefer our scruffbag. Buttons.
ADOLPH: Yes, he is still with us as grumpy as ever but still our favourite old man except when he goes on a growling miss at any animal that dares to venture in his “space” he is initialed to be like this he is nearly 16 now
MAGGIE. Lives in a world of her own I am sure she was a nurse in her past life, no one human or otherwise can have a sore or scratch she is there to attend to it immediately which can be quite painful sometimes.
LANDI:. Our oversized loveable aloof gentleman, who does try to communicate especially at meal times when asked “what do you say” he opens his mouth and no sound comes out but if you ask again “Pardon? He will give a loud yelp or two. I think he is very self conscious because of his gangly legs which really belong on a buck not a dog!
DINGBAT: She is definitely not like her deceased namesake, maybe she looks like him but is a complete nut case, and at least she is obedient when called.
NASHER: She I’m convinced as Australian cattle dog somewhere in her genes her mission? To guard Ferdenande or our latest newcomer to the fold, Tinkerbell more about her later. Nasher has the most incredible eyes they don’t belong on a dog but look as if they belong to an Egyptian princess, eye lined and all. Strange!
BigBoy the wild male from the bush has definitely taken up residence he is an amazing, if there are any strangers or strange dogs near our area he starts he barking and the rest follow the locals call them our “police” Thombi is really getting old now but is still a great gran to the little ones especially her daughter Ali’s little boy Wayne..
UGIE: Sadly we have to report the passing of our darling little Ugie she passed away in her sleep in the first week of September Those volunteers who have volunteered at APES during the last 14 plus years will remember her, as the little nondescript breed, full of character and in latter years seemed to never move from her bed, a box on top of a chair in the lounge. A volunteer asked, and I quote” Is she alive?” unquote, Ugie’s response was thus, lifting her head, and peering over the top of her box or” nest” so named by Rodney then. giving the person concerned a disdainful look and promptly turned around and went back to sleep, her favourite pass time, I must admit though when the urge got her she was a sprightly little dog and enjoyed nothing more than a good trot around the garden or going for a walk in the bush, We miss you so much, rest in peace little one “we will meet again”
THE POULTRY (Ducks, Geese& Fowls:
 |
 |
|
This lot are determined to keep me in the “poor house” I’m sure! Unfortunately some have disappeared not of their own accord but by a predator or two human or otherwise! Our one and only Mallard named Entabeni (the rest are Muscovy’s)was found dead in a flower bed a fitting place to pass away but it left his lowing wife Mrs.E. Alone though she has the company of the other ducks she does miss him and isn’t really very keen on being pursued by our numerous male Muscovy”s either. Of course she does lay but being a cross breed they are infertile, have blue shells like the Mallard’s but that is all, very sad we are hoping to find another male to keep her company.
I also think our Guniea Fowl paid us a visit but didn’t stay we know she joined the wild ones in our area and once or twice we have seen them in the cattle paddock, about 40 of them in total, How do I know Guinea was there? Well when I called in the special way we communicated she answered! Any volunteer has an enormous task, outwitting the ducks, we need to collect eggs, cannot let them breed indiscriminately, the food costs are enormous, so its “a treasure hunt” every morning, successful most of the time but this cunning lot find hiding places, such as a hollow tree or similar, where a mother had 22 ducklings and when ready each and every one with their stumpy little :”wings” fluttered” haha, to the ground about 3 feet down, no injuries either!
CATS: Again the God’s were against us! And dear Hercules who was spayed or so we were told and didn’t have nay kittens for nearly5 years, BUT one morning she merrily showed us 4 that he had produced on a sitting room chair!!

Princess,Smokey,Boots & others.
|

Kumbula
|
Healey
|
They are Christopher, Princess, and Smokey & Boots. Now all “doctored” again her ladyship was still feeding them and low and behold another 4 (slut) her 2 gentlmen Ferrell cats visiting previously hadn’t been heard or seen since, or so we thought! but!! We heard her calling us in her usual proud way and there were another 4 the 5th had died. Well as soon as we were able she was speedily sent off to be “fixed’ the slut! Her last brood are adorable too they have been named Mangoi, (Sendebele for cat) Kumbula (think) Grumpy (never stops muttering) Koshwa (forget) One of the males now named Ginger is visiting again, getting tamer and then WHAM to the vet!
DONKEYS & BOVINES: Ferdenande: isn’t as little calf anymore even thought he thinks he is! Loves to gently butt you and has no idea of his strength, so one finds ones self flying across the lawn much to his surprise, bless him. He now spends all his time outside even he thinks he is entitled to sit in the lounge, no way hosay! His wife to be Snowy is well and getting quite tame too. All the SPCA donkeys Grandpa, Sugar, & Jack are doing well and getting very tame, except for Spice and Blackie are tame now and will eat out of your hand.
Last but not least: TINKERBELL: Dear I say goat? Well this young lady belongs to the late Chief’s mother we were visiting and Rod was busy checking the families goat herd to see how they were, a lot of them have foot problems due to thorns, cuts that have gone septic and sometimes have maggots as well, So a number require injections and medical attention, this is a great way of educating the rural people how to care for their livestock as they take a great interest in how and what is done especially the children who are sent to collect the animals and assist in catching and holding them while they are being treated of course there are rewards for the “workers This little goat was very ill, runny nose, coughing, and bad feet so we brought her home as if she had been left behind she would have died, With all the love and medical attention she received she is now a bouncing young lady note not goat! Believe it or not she does not soil her sleeping quarters which are the scullery but rushes out in the morning to do the necessary! It’s comical to see her at 5.30am whirling and twirling about on the way to the front door, she has now become a permanent member mum Zondi the previous owner is delighted to leave her with us, thank goodness. Tinkerbell has learnt to beg when told too, bribery did it, and she has a passion for bread or cake!
THE COMMUNITY: A number of people are curious of what we do in this rural community so I decided to give a short synopsis. We are called upon to help when ever there are problems be it themselves, their live stock or what ever One of the latest happenings that was a great success and much appreciated by all concerned, A cow could not give birth and of course we were called, to make it happen! Rod armed with the necessary headed to the cattle holding pen , there the poor cow was really in pain she was standing trying to give birth but only managed to push out two little back hoof’s unfortunately the calf was the wrong way round, but nothing to Rod he greased his arms and proceeded to pull, I aided by pushing on the cow’s side trying to get her to push, out slide a delightful bull calf much to the delight of the owner, onlookers and the cow of course but Rod had to clean out the mucus and give it mouth to mouth but all was successful, the calf was named Sondo( Sunday) The previous delivery was more dramatic to say the least, a very heavily pregnant cow arrived at our gate and of course us being us brought her into our paddock.
That evening around 5pm she was on her side obviously in distress Rod fetched the necessary creams and potions! Then proceeded to deliver the calf it was a real mission as the poor mother was really exhausted anyway with much pulling and I pushing on her side out came another bull calf, huge, if it hadn’t been for us and Rod’s successful delivery the cow and calf would have died. She stayed with us for a few days until her owner who had been looking for her arrived and with much gratitude took her and Umkabelo ( Saturday) off to his home, That same evening after the delivery there were shouts from our neighbours, a little girl about 10 was with them crying, she had been burnt Apparently she had lit a paraffin stove and it blew back on her and burnt her legs badly She was trying to prepare a meal for her mother and the other children as her mother was still at work Well from bovine to human much washing and sterilizing and we set to work on the wounds we are happy to say after a few weeks of continued treatment the wounds healed and she is fine. Perhaps you would ask why to not hospital? Well they the community are not interested and say that they don’t get the treatment that we give them. The word has got around that we do help and its encouraging that they trust us enough to come to us for help, be it for live stock or themselves. Another example, there was a tiny calf who slid down an antbear hole thank heavens he went down back end first ,This event should have been filmed, honestly to see the antics! we had to find a tall thin person to go down and pull the little beast out successfully this was done despite a very angry mother trying desperately to horn someone the calf was named Sumblulu (Monday) The rural people call me Mandlovu and Rod Duma Zondi It is quite amazing and sometimes a pain in the butt being at beck and call but it is part and parcel of why we are here and in someway to say “thank you” to our “Royal Family” the Zondi Clan as they are know, for allowing us to live here and be part of their clan as well as the community. Hence Rod being promoted to a Zondi, minus tribal scars of course! We have to attend all functions be it weddings, social gatherings and governmental functions, what ever is happening in the area. We have to be there. An honour? Yes we think so!

School children & Volunteer
|

traditionally dressed Zulu men.
|
All this is done without funding from any governmental department though we have asked many times, for assistance as medical supplies are very expensive, so perhaps someone out there will take compassion on us,
Any sort of donations would be much appreciated and a blessing
Thank you for reading this and do have a look at our websites, yes we now have a very kind lady in Germany created another one to us it is www.apesanctuary.org Thank you Jacqui, our original one www.apes.org is still operating due to the kindness of Mr. Juby of WEBPRO, thank you and your staff Les.
Before closing we would however like to thank those people who have continued to help, without you it would be extremely difficult to continue our work both with the community and the animals in our care.
Aheers Greytown, Mr. W. Wilkin Greytown Beer Dist, Mr. P.Freize Blamcom Int Jhb. Helen and all at I.P.P.L UK Mr.Taylor & staff Greytown Office Machines Paul Dupreez Umvoti signs Greytown, Triton Express,
A special Thank you to all those Volunteers who have come to APES with out your help we would have found it extremely difficult to continue or work. Bless you all. If anyone would like pictures please let us know.
Terrible news! Buddy was electrocuted yesterday 16th January! We are all devastated especially Willo who was his constant companion. Buddy may you rest in peace, we will meet again, you were an angel in waiting God bless you always.

BUDDY |
BLESS YOU ALL AND THANK YOU FOR CARING.
DAWN AND ALL AT APES.
|
|