Vervet Monkey Species Guide: Africa Safari Wildlife

There is a high possibility that you are already dreaming about lions, elephants, and giraffes in case you ever felt like visiting an African safari. Nonetheless, it is one silent animal that could rob the show many times and one of them is the Vervet Monkey.

This small monkey is keen and cunning, and he is always curious, and the first wild animal the travellers will meet, and the last to be forgotten. The vervets, being able to talk directly with their faces, and able to live anywhere, are not regarded as distant animal species but intelligent neighbours of the savanna.

Where to Find Vervet Monkey

Vervet is very common in the East and South African and is therefore one of the most common primates in the continent.

They will be found in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia. They like water-side situations, especially on the banks of streams and on the shores of lakes, though they are as welcome in the grass-lands, woodland, and border of the forest.

The only thing that most tourists are surprised by is the fact that these monkeys easily adapt to human conditions by imitating them. Their day to day territory can be lodges, campsites, farmlands as well as urban parks.

Best Parks to Spot 

Top spots include:

• Uganda: Spotted in Uganda’s Forests, & Savannas. Often seen in Murchison Falls & Queen Elizabeth National Park.
• Masai Mara, Kenya: Delivers hunting in riverside and in open savannah particularly during the dawn or during the evening.
• Serengeti, Tanzania: It is located in the acacia trees and it blends with the environment.
• Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda: It is difficult to define, though it could be found along the border of forest and sites of villages.

Habitat 

The vervets can be easily adapted to many conditions e.g. wet rain forest and swamps, semi-desert and elevation as long as water and trees are available to sleep. They predominantly live in riverine woodland in the savannas and have been reported to prefer open and woody habitats such as dry deciduous forests, scrub forests and gallery forests and not the dense jungle.

Key Characteristics

Appearance

Vervets are silver-grey with the light undertones and black face with silver cheek hair. They have long tails to enable their balancing and communication.

Blue Scrota

Adult males are known for their scrotum, a bright turquoise blue color. This is a natural feature that is said to be a sign of health and dominance.

Communication

They are vocal and non-verbal communicators and they have approximately 36 different calls. Alarm calls are a warning to predators, short calls to the leopards and grunts to the eagles, which also help the group to be safe.

Breeding

The seasonal breeding period of Vervets lasts a period of 140 days after which a single baby is born during the months of March to May. Babies attach themselves to their mother and progressively lose their attachment, mother being very protective or delightfully distributing the care to close female family members.

Lifespan

They are mainly located in eastern sub-Saharan Africa. They have an average life span of approximately 15 years with an average of 30 years.

Size

The monkeys are medium to large in size with the body length of 15 to 23 inches and tails 11 to 19 inches.

Weight

The adults weigh 3.5-8kg, and males are significantly heavier than females.

Omnivorous Diet 

The monkeys are omnivores that feed on a diverse range of foodstuff such as young leaves, grass, bark, flowers, roots, seeds, fruits, and bulbs. They also complement the vegetarian diet with insects, eggs, baby birds and small rodents. They avoid acacia leaves even though they usually live in acacia trees, as they contain bitter chemicals that are used to deter herbivores.

Social Behaviour

They reside in tight groups of approximately 10 to 50 individuals which are dominated by adult females and their young, though males enter and leave. Women prefer to remain as the group members, creating small families within the troop.

Grooming is so important in their day to day life, it helps in building relationships, keeps them clean, and signals the social status, with the most dominant monkeys given the highest attention.

Are They Dangerous?

Vervets are not harmful in most scenarios. They are instinctively suspicious and like to run away rather than to fight. They however can get aggressive when threatened, cornered or when they are being fed by humans. Bites and scratches are not common and thus it is always a good idea to maintain distance during safari.

Predators

The life of the monkeys in trees is one of the essential ways of keeping safe, yet danger is always close. Predators such as leopards, eagles, big snakes, crocodiles and even baboons hunt them. 

Leopards are particularly harmful as they can both hunt on the ground and in trees and birds of prey compel vervets to remain near cover. Vervets depend on trees, vigilance, and easy escape paths in order to survive.

Research and Conservation

The monkeys are researched due to their similarities with human beings, as they can aid in the study of such diseases as anxiety and hypertension. They belong to the Least Concern category because of their great scope and versatility.

But there are places where they are regarded as pests and they are hunted or even poisoned. Such organizations as the Monkey Foundation contribute to the care of injured and orphaned monkeys.

Threats to Vervet Monkeys

They are now regarded as least endangered in the IUCN Red List, but there is no recent population statistics reported by researchers. Their population is not clear whether it is constant or decreasing. Nonetheless, they continue to encounter the threats continuously which can pose a threat to their lives, and these should be addressed in order to make them continue living in the wild.

Safari Encounters with Activentures Africa

The visits to the Safari with Activentures Africa offer a closer experience of playing with the wildlife including the mischievous behavior of the monkeys in the wild. Their trained local guides ensure that you not only watch animals, but also understand how they interact with one another and with their surroundings as opposed to watching them at a distance. Whether it is game drive experience or safari lodge experience, it is a true and rugged experience that is relaxed and intimate with the wild nature of Africa.

Best Time to Visit

The monkeys can be observed in East and Southern Africa best during the dry season, when they can be easily spotted as they congregate in and around water sources. This is usually between June and October in most parts and again between December and February. Mornings and afternoons are the best times of day to watch them actively foraging and playing around.

Travel Tips

• Always keep a great distance, and never feed the monkeys.
• See them with the help of the binoculars in the trees.
• Use cool colors to fit in.
• Preserve habitats using trails.
• Follow instructions of a guide for the best scenery.
• Bring the essentials like water, sunscreen and insect repellent.

Conclusion

The Vervet Monkey is one of the few animals that represent the African spirit. Clever, versatile and highly sociable, it is a march of wildness in minor and marvelous measures. They can be spotted riding through trees like monkeys or spotted skulking near human beings like spies, and in any case, this primate will provide a personality and life to any safari experience.

FAQs 

Where do they live?

They also live in savannas, forests and water bodies in East and Southern Africa.

What do they eat?

They eat fruits, leaves, insects, and sometimes small animals.

Do they attack humans?

Usually not, but they are able to protect themselves when provoked or fed wrongly.

Is the Vervet Monkey easy to view on safari?

Yes, this is one of the most frequent and enjoyable safari experiences to see the Monkey.