Monkeys or Big Five?

Everyone who travels to Africa wants to meet the ‘big five’: lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, and rhino. With the exception of the elephant, however, the big five aren’t particularly interesting during the day. They usually rest in the shade, only becoming active around sunset. Not so great for wildlife photography. But there are, of course, many other interesting animals to photograph. Monkeys for example. In southern Africa there are two species of monkeys: Chacma Baboons and Vervet Monkeys.

Baboons

Baboons are strong and big primates. Particularly the males, with their long canines, can be dangerous when they feel threatened. It’s known that the bigger alpha males are strong enough to chase away Leopards. Many Africans hate baboons because they’re so brazen. If you’re not careful, they’ll steal anything, especially food. They’re intelligent, have interesting social interactions, and… they have a distinct similarity to us humans. And last but not least, they’re primarily active during the day, which is, of course, an added bonus for a photographer.

Vervet Monkeys

Vervet Monkeys are much smaller than Baboons and they look less aggressive. Still, don’t underestimate them. They can be quite aggressive when it comes to food, as we discovered when my wife was bitten by a vervet while we were eating in a nature reserve. Surprisingly, they also know the difference between males and females. My wife was bitten, but when I showed up, they ran off like a rabbit.