The Proverbial Pirates

If you've just joined us, allow me to introduce you to one of the Pirates of Pretoriuskop, a band of manky, mean, thieving vervet monkeys who live in Pretoriuskop Rest Camp, in the Kruger National Park, South Africa.

I thought, for a brief few seconds, that I might be guilty of embellishing the Pirates' pursuits, in the name of trying to get people to read this blog. Was I being unfair, I wondered, in my portrayal of their wicked ways and dastardly deeds?

The answer to my questions came just the other day, when Mrs Blog and I caught up with some good friends from Johannesburg, who had come to Kruger with some other friends of theirs from Polokwane (the city formerly known as Pietersburg) and Serbia (the country formerly known as Yugoslavia).

The Polokwane people told me that while at Pretoriuskop a vervet monkey had gotten into their bungalow. As well as the usual scenes of devastation (food raided and consumed, coffee jar opened and upturned, etc) there was a terrible smell.

Vervets, as you may know from reading this blog or your own personal experience, like to add insult to injury by leaving a calling card at the scene of their crimes. I asked the guy if the monkey had left a little message on a table or on the bed.

"No," my new friend replied (he is now a very good friend, as he bought one of my books) "it was on the walls. All over the walls."

He and his wife had left the ceiling fan on, while out on a game drive.

The monkey had, indeed, left his message, but he had been up in the rafters of the thatched roof at the time.

"You don't mean..." I began.

Yes. The proverbial had, indeed, hit the proverbial.