Kenyan Village Raided By Vervet Monkies

Kenyan Village Raided By Vervet Monkies
Kenyan farmers are being harrassed by rapacious monkeys:A troop of vervet monkeys is giving Kenyan villagers long days and sleepless nights, destroying crops and causing a food crisis.Earlier this month, local MP Paul Muite urged the Kenyan Wildlife Service to help contain their aggressive behaviour.But Mr Muite caused laughter when he told parliament that the monkeys had taken to harassing and mocking women in a village. The monkeys are sexually harrassing the village's women as they till and harvest their land. As is the case with virtually all other primates, vervet troops are male-dominated. These guys are being crass lads while they plunder. Despite their lack of cultural sophistication, the monkeys are able to see through the lady villagers' vain attempts to throw off the societal chauvinism that distinguishes men and women:Nachu's women have tried wearing their husbands' clothes in an attempt to trick the monkeys into thinking they are men - but this has failed, they say."When we come to chase the monkeys away, we are dressed in trousers and hats, so that we look like men," resident Lucy Njeri told the BBC News website."But the monkeys can tell the difference and they don't run away from us and point at our breasts. They just ignore us and continue to steal the crops."Africa is the best place to see just how wrong the feministic worldview is. Vervet monkies display gender differences in toy preferences similar to those of humans, with males choosing trucks and females choosing dolls. Gender differences are innate. Even though the biggest of these monkies struggle to top 20 pounds soaking wet, they're brazen. The women may play soldier, but they can't hold a candle to their warrior men:They say the monkeys are more afraid of young men than women and children, and the bolder ones throw stones and chase the women from their farms. So, Nachu's fierce fighters to the rescue, right? Why are the villagers pleading for the Kenyan Wildlife Service to get involved, when the monkeys are afraid of the village's men? This is Africa. The men don't sully themselves with work. Their women do all that.The Service isn't ameliorating the situation by telling the villagers not to harm the monkies, which are protected. By contrast, in most other African countries they are considered pests and can be killed with impunity.This is almost surreal:The residents report that the monkeys have killed livestock and guard dogs, which has also left the villagers living in fear, especially for the safety of their babies and children.All the villagers' attempts to control the monkeys have failed - the monkeys evade traps, have lookouts to warn the others of impending attacks and snub poisoned food put out by the residents. Rhodesian Ridgebacks aren't well equipped to face a band of clever vervet monkies. We need to send the tribe some pit bulls, a breed much better suited to tackle a troop.More than surreal, though, this is depressing. These people cannot defeat a band of monkies. Think about that. The average IQ for Kenya is estimated to be 72, meaning roughly half of the population would be deemed mentally retarded in the US. Presumably, higher IQs are more concentrated in large cities like Nairobi. So attempts at organization and the setting up of obstacles to keep the monkies away are probably sorely lacking in efficiency and effectiveness.Reality is a disturbing thing.

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