Maunderings, Musings and Meditations: A Gallimaufry of Thoughts and Ideas (Volume 1)

By Cornelius

Cornelius has travelled widely and has written an account of his journeys with his family through Europe by campervan in “The Gypsy Life”. As a Shakespeare enthusiast he has compiled “Shakespeare’s Lines”, and both books have been published by Partridge Publishing.

He is a glider pilot and engineer, and was privileged to crew on a yacht in the Mediterranean. This current book describes his ‘animal’ interests and flying/sailing experiences. The essays are topical, thought provoking and even, perhaps, provocative He and his adult daughter are fortunate to reside in a well wooded stand which encourages wild monkeys and mongooses to visit. They are also subservient to two cats.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: May 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781543769913

Cornelius

Cornelius was born in 1937 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He married and has two children Melody and Mark. In 1960 they re-located to sub-tropical Durban on the Indian Ocean. He started his career as a Junior Draughtsman and worked for Consulting Engineers. By studying, he eventually qualified as a Structural Engineer and as a Professional Engineer was able to run his own private practice.

Book preview

MAUNDERINGS,

MUSINGS AND

MEDITATIONS

A gallimaufry of thoughts and

ideas (Volume 1)

CORNELIUS

Copyright © 2022 Cornelius. All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN

978-1-5437-6952-4 (sc)

978-1-5437-6991-3 (e)

04/28/2022

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CONTENTS VOLUME 1:

Chapter 1.0: Wildlife/animals.

1.1 My Life With The Friends Of The Forest.

1.2 Day Of The Eagle – High Drama

1.3 Monkeys And Baboons And Other Wildlife:

1.4 Run Baby, Run

1.5 The True Tale Of A Turkish Magpie By Yuruk *

1.6 Can Humans Compete With Animals?

1.7 A Sad Tale With A Happy Ending

1.8 Food For Thought

1.9 Man vs Nature

1.10 Cats

1.11 Pond Life

1.12 Prey Gained, Prey Lost

1.13 What Do Animals Think?

1.14 When

Chapter 2.0: Travel/adventures

2.1 (Mis)Adventure In Umhlanga Lagoon

2.2 A Sip Of Lesotho

2.3 The Sea Gypsies

2.4 Where On Earth Is Yugoslavia?

2.5 Diary Of A Traveller

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1.1 MY LIFE WITH THE FRIENDS OF THE FOREST.

The ‘Friends’ are the Monkeys and Mongooses;

The ‘Forest’ is what I call home: a sanctuary, full of trees.

VERVET MONKEYS (affectionately known as the ‘Greys’).

Boring folk would call them: Sp. Chlorocebus Pygerythrus.

For many decades, these charming primates have visited my garden. I have observed several generations and various troops passing through on their foraging routes. Different troops never arrive on the same occasion which may indicate that some form of conscious co-ordination occurs to avoid competitive confrontations. When visits do occur they usually happen early morning and late afternoon when the troop is leaving the sleeping quarters to go foraging or returning home. Occasionally a visit may last for several hours when they adjourn to the trees after eating to groom, relax in the sun or snooze.

Although stamped out of the same genetic mould, many are individually identifiable by their mannerisms or, less so, by identifying marks such as an atypical facial expression or fur markings, and in one unmistakable case by albinism.

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At a young age they develop an overcoat: a distinctly separate mantle of hair stretching across the shoulders to the lower back, presumably for weather resistance.

It is tempting for me to name them, and I have:

T1 (Troop 1):

Alpha male Boris, very calm demeanor and noble expression due to a slight overbite, exudes leadership quality – will tolerate light stroking. He is named for his appearance as a Russian aristocrat.

Sub-adults, females and lower ranks: Pacific (male - very friendly) and Bucky (a male who has not been seen since he lost his right hand, possibly in a snare); Gruma (a female that once groomed the hair on my leg); Katya (a young lady with a large nick out of her right ear i.e. cut-ear) who receives a banana with gentle politeness; Mustash-Mum (a shy female with a faint white moustache and is highly nervous); and many youngsters who look too similar to be named. Many enter the kitchen knowing they’ll get a banana.

T2 (Troop 2):

Alpha male Tuftless (he has lost the black tuft of hair at the end of his tail); not too happy about being touched. He is a robust fellow, and as with Boris, exudes masculinity and leadership qualities. He does not suffer fools gladly i.e. youngsters not knowing their station. Ugly-Mummy, meant accurately, not pejoratively due to albinism – blotchy white facial patches and fingers. ‘One-Leg’ (a mature male with left leg missing at the hip, very calm and trusting); One-Eye (another mature male), has the use of only his left eye, rather nervous disposition). Not many others have been named since T2 visit less frequently than T1 and are not as confident i.e. do not enter the house; females and youngsters are skittish.

T3 (Troop 3):

Rather fragmented company led by Mr.Stash (thin white moustache on upper lip). Has females and youngsters but all very nervous. Seldom visits.

Observations on behavior.

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Over time they (T1 and T2) have gained in confidence to be with me and have almost lost their innate fear, nevertheless, only with rare exceptions do they allow the human touch (other than Boris, see above). Even then one perceives an instinctive reaction of … I’d rather you didn’t do this as they back away. Bearing grudges is unknown to them as they live very much in the moment. This is not to say they don’t sometimes squabble, but it is soon over.

They are generally in a state of calm high alert, eyes darting every which way, and avoiding direct eye contact with humans except fleetingly, or more prolonged if there is tension. Conversation occurs when mongooses or neighbour’s cat get too close; barking if a strange male (monkey) arrives – sheer panic on the occasion that a crowned eagle landed in the tree bordering the front verandah.

This has happened only once with monkeys present.

(See eagle story).

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Discipline exists in the troop, but not excessively. Youngsters may be mildly chastised for unacceptable behaviour. Aggression towards me personally is unknown. Perhaps it’s the alpha beard or anthropoid ape personality.

They are not excluded from entering my house but mostly confine their incursions to the kitchen. They perch on the open window frames and if there is to be feeding, enter and settle on curtain rail, cupboards and counter tops. There are also feeding platforms externally at garden table, nearby shed roof and low wall and table at front verandah.

Feeding comprises, in order of preference: bananas, peanuts (whole or shelled), raisins, apples, pears, oranges, raw sweet-potato, raw sunflower seeds, dried maize kernels (samp) and home-made seeded bread. Obviously not all is provided on every occasion. The T1 youngsters are great beggars, swarming over a freshly peeled hand-held banana – thrusting their little heads competitively into the fruit as it is peeled. On these occasions, when so distracted, it is possible to stroke one or other surreptitiously. It is fairly common that youngsters perch on one’s knee for a feed.

Of course they carry out a detailed survey of whatever edible may be accessible in the kitchen. For this reason all food/fruit is kept out of sight in cupboards. Incursions into the rest of the house are rare. Once the imitation wax oranges had been tried and rejected, that never happened again. The youngsters are very inquisitive and they have occasionally torn book covers during their natural course of investigations.

Although monkeys have a repertoire of sounds for communication, they mostly go about their business in silence. I have had a vocal response on a few occasions when greeting, using a low rumble sequence located in the rear of the throat. This is sometimes returned.

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Springtime is the season for new babies and it is instructive to note the care and affection provided by a mother. Often younger siblings or females (aunts, sisters) will take a lively interest in the new arrival, examining it closely by smelling and soft handling. Mother however is careful not to allow rough behavior. The security felt by the troop T1 permits several mothers with babies to participate in human hand-feeding. After a few weeks baby will detach itself from mum’s abdomen and nipples to practice the art of walking, climbing and foraging (usually leftovers from the bigger siblings). Unlike humans, baby is left to work it out for himself from an early age. Mothers are fiercely protective of their babies and twice I have witnessed ‘rescues’ after baby has gotten in ‘trouble’, usually by accidentally falling to the ground.

It is remarkable that at birth a baby vervet’s face is as white as a northern European’s; as it matures it gradually goes as black as a central African’s. (Why not be born with a black face? White more easily seen by the mother at night?)

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Frequently monkeys of all sizes and genders arrive with open wounds and lacerations revealing raw flesh and in the case of one youngster, a scalping. A large flap had been raised from the rear above his cranium – the white skull was clearly visible; he is now known as Scalpee. In his case as with other instances of torn flesh, with the passage of a few weeks the wounds heal naturally or are on the way to full recovery. Perhaps it is due to the natural anti-biotic found in bananas.

Doctors, drugs to counter infection, hospitals and pharmaceuticals, are all superfluous in this primate world - a lesson for primate humans? Injuries, even fatalities, are mostly caused by motor vehicles as monkeys cross roads while foraging through the suburbs. Razor-wire, pellet guns and dogs also take their toll.

Urban vervets must forage where they can, as the species has done for millennia. Their traditional territory has been usurped by humans and at least here in Durban North I feel we should pay back by limited feeding. Irregularity of their visits ensures that food dependency is not developed.

I enjoy their company and feel privileged to have them visit. As with all so-called wild creatures they are, in themselves and their way of life, perfect beings.

For example, compared with humans:

No intoxicating or addictive substances are used;

Violent domestic altercations or abuse do not occur;

Territorial disputes do not end in death;

Youngsters are disciplined and show obedience to their superiors;

Babies, the future continuance of the troop, are venerated;

Mothers will never abandon or dispose of their babies;

There is social order in a troop and ranking understood by all.

They have no ‘hidden agendas’.

They do not display false modesty – everywhere is a toilet.

And they’ve got beautiful noses!

Instances of noteworthy or interesting behavior:

i. Boris sitting next to me enjoying a banana, noticed some food scraps that had fallen onto my knee. With a nonchalant swipe of his hand he wiped it off the knee. (Altruism?)

ii. Katya sitting on a counter top in the kitchen, resenting my ‘forwardness‘ in touching her tail, gave me a light open-handed slap on my arm. (To establish respect?)

iii. When in a feeding group (they love cracking open sunflower seeds) with pendent tails at table’s edge, one turns or moves he or she raises the tail over the others’ heads, to avoid brushing them with the tail. (Consideration?)

iv. Vervets while feeding are inclined to place more food into their mouths than can be swallowed