Another aspect of baboon behaviour

It's been a quiet and uneventful day today, with even the wind taking a break and not putting in an appearance. I worked a bit, then pottered in the garden, pruned a few branches, watered. Dishwasher still out of action - technical angels couldn't fix it (obviously doesn't need a miracle!) so had to call the repairman, who unfortunately didn't turn up! Doubtless he will be here tomorrow and all will be well again.

Yesterday I heard that a friend up the road had a lone male baboon in her house, and it was disturbing to hear the tale:  Her daughter was alone upstairs when the baboon strolled in and she picked up a chair to place between her and the baboon. Male baboons are notorious for having no respect for women (yes, a universal failing) and he must have sensed fear. He circled her and then pushed the chair back at her and then threw a bowl of fruit at her. By then her father had rushed up the stairs and chased it out, but one wonders how the baboon learnt that behaviour and those human reactions. It seems that the danger is their reaction to fear and we will now have to be even more vigilant with our doors and windows as baboon behaviour is now an unknown. Possibly the interaction with monitors and a kind of baboon 'tourism' involving walking close to these animals has desensitised them and they no longer require a natural distancing from humans. This is all very sad. It began with people feeding them from cars and treating them as domesticated pets and has taken us along a path which is leading to the inevitable fate of so many animals - extinction because we don't value their place in the ecosystem and consider them lesser beings. Soon there will only be photographs and documentaries of the days when baboons 'terrorised' the suburbs.

Unless, of course, the baboons learn to stay away from humans again as quickly as they learned not to fear them. Perhaps self-preservation will kick in. One can only hope.