Baboon Busters

I had thus far been avoiding it, but I've been asked to write about how I met my future husband in Sun City... so here goes. If I go a bit soppy at the end, please feel free to pelt me with rotten cyber-eggs!

I met Jean-Lee whilst working on the Real Gap Monkey Rehabilitation project. I'd arrived at the project expecting to be rehabilitating Vervet Monkeys, and for the first few days that’s just was I was doing. The Vervets are a fascinating primate; extremely sophisticated and sensitive, and their babies are all sorts of cute. For those volunteers willing to endure getting splattered with green poo, the payback is an unforgettable one on one connection with the baby animals. (Ok, in truth it's more like ten monkeys on one bewildered volunteer!)

Destiny had other plans for me however, and I was asked if I'd like to go to Sun City instead to work alone with a ranger monitoring baboon activity. I was actually a little torn by the decision as it meant abandoning the team, and my plans of doing the monkey thing but I'd learnt on my travels not to turn down the unexpected when it comes along, so I agreed.

Sun City is a rather glitzy holiday resort north of Johannesburg. It transpired that when the hotels, golf course, pools and so on moved into the area, the local baboon troops were shoved out. Except they didn't comply… and who can blame them? They were there first! All this shoulder barging for territory means that behind the five star facade of Sun City a human-baboon war is constantly waging. On days when the baboons are leading the field hotel rooms are ransacked, rubbish is scattered to the wind, golf caddies are mugged (for their sandwiches) and staff are terrified. On days when humans take the lead the baboons are kept at bay on the nearby hillside until nighttime, when they climb down and sleep in the scaffolding of enormous constructed fibreglass canyons flanking the vast Entertainment Centre.

The history, as I understand it, is that there were whispers of a 'cull' to eliminate the baboon problem. Thankfully, Sun City's Environmental Education Specialist, Isobel Swart suggested a period of monitoring the animals and adapting human practices (such as securing bins) so that the two groups might live in harmony.

This is where we came in. 'Baboon Management' as it was grandiosely titled, turned out to be 90% driving around in a 4X4 waiting for a call from the 'Baboon Hotline', upon receipt of which we’d spring into action ala Ghostbusters! ‘Who Ya Gonna Call???’ If a person or property was in danger our job was to safely chase the baboons away. This is easier said than done, as the baboons are not remotely scared of people, especially female people. More than once I was squared up by an alpha male, and thought I might faint from fear.

So anyway, getting to the romantic part of the story. This is where I happened upon my future husband. No, he's not actually an alpha male baboon (despite initial concerns from my family to that effect) but a relief restaurant manager, which is how he came to be passing through Sun City. One evening after a long, hard day babooning, Ranger Louis and I went to the local bar where there's sawdust on the floor and wine is served in tall plastic beakers.  (classy, right?) Whilst Louis was humouring me at pool we met Jean-Lee propping up a barstool. He & I instantly hit it off, connected by the coincidence of both owning mid-80’s motorbikes in electric blue. (His a Suzuki, mine a Kawasaki)

Long story... um longish, Time came to leave Sun City & proceed to Cape Town where I was scheduled to meet up with other English friends (more bikers). Parting was horrible, but I adored Cape Town although must confess to missing out on a fair bit due to being glued to my phone. After a week in the Cape I flew to Windhoek in Namibia where I'd paid up to join a tour through the dunes, onto Botswana and Zambia, ending at Victoria Falls. You can see what's coming can't you?? I didn't go. I looked ahead to spending the final 3 weeks of my 1-year adventure on a bus gazing out of the window, and suddenly nothing I could possibly have seen out of that window made me want to stay.

It’s hard to tell this bit of the story without sounding either very spoilt or ungrateful or both. But if you can understand what it’s like to see some of the most uplifting sights in the world: Indian deserts, Angkor Wat, the Mekong, the Gold Coast, white beaches galore…. And having just yourself, or maybe a semi-stranger to share it with, then you might also be able to understand that sometimes a mundane sight can be just as magical, if shared with a loved one. So that’s what I did; after less than 24 hours in Namibia, I flew back to Jean-Lee & spent the last few weeks in a very boring northern town doing very boring things but ultimately very happy.

That’s nearly a year ago now, and since then there’s been to-ing & fro-ing between England and South Africa. We got engaged in the New Year whilst sitting on some rocks with a panoramic view over the African bush. We moved to Cape Town in March, arriving one evening at dusk on a motorbike with a broken headlamp and our belongings wedged between us.

I still want to go to see all the bits of Southern Africa I missed, but now we live here I’m sure the time will come when we can go together. I can’t wait! I must first find a backpack with a baby compartment though, as our little one will be joining us very soon.