Monkeying around with cool cats in Durban’s trendy spots
● Half-Tail, Quasi, Sweet Pea and Cheeky Girl are as well fed as the foodies who frequent Durban’s trendiest street, Florida Road.
The famous strip — home to sidewalk cafes, swanky bars and classy eateries — has become a favourite playground for two large troops of monkeys, which have been snatching food off restaurant tables, intimidating patrons, chasing restaurant staff around and ripping open bin bags.
While they’re a treat for tourists, restaurateurs are not as impressed by their antics.
Fed up with the loss of business caused by the intrusion, some have armed themselves with water pistols and canisters to ward off the marauding monkeys.
“I’ve tried everything. I’m tired of them. I’ve called the monkey experts, but they just don’t go away. The problem I think is that they are being fed, they have a ready source of food every day. They are quite a nuisance,” said a restaurant owner who did not want to be named.
He has armed his staff with a water pistol to keep them at bay.
Sidewalk monitor Lorraine Barnard has had a number of close shaves with the primates.
“They’ve stolen my lunch. They can get aggressive, I was nearly attacked three times. Recently a five-year-old had a biscuit snatched out of his hand. They run amok on this street. I see people walking in the middle of the busy road, just to avoid them.
“At one time there’s about 20 to 30 of them. They can be menaces. The bins are being toppled and people are afraid,” Barnard said.
She uses the siren on her two-way radio to scare off the animal assailants.
Faiz Hassen, who runs a burger spot, was recently chased by a troop of monkeys.
“I was spraying them with my water canister to keep them away. When I ran out of water, they started chasing me. They stole my buns.
“I don’t want them to be killed, although they are a huge nuisance to us.”
Florida Road precinct manager Jarrod Evans said parts of the area had become a “favourite playground” for a large troop.
“They’re adorable and an awesome sight for tourists, but we receive the occasional complaint due to their actions.
But two employees at a local business have named their favourites and feed them daily with fruit, nuts and vegetables at a cost of between R3 000 and R4 000 per month.
One of the women — who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals — said they fed the animals to keep them away from the surrounding restaurants.
They have approached a local church to set up a feeding station to prevent the monkeys from roaming the street and being a nuisance.
“They are not a problem for us. We’re their biggest fans. Monkeys are the most misunderstood animals. We feed them because we love them.”
She said they had pet names for their guests, based on their physical appearance and their personalities.
Quasi resembles the hunchback of Notre Dame after being struck by a car. Half-Tail’s name speaks for itself, while Sweet Pea has a lovely temperament.
Their monkey menu — for between 60 to 80 monkeys that come around twice a day — includes bananas, apples and, of course, monkey nuts. Food is laid out on the veranda of their business.
“I think a proper feeding station would be the solution for them. But not everyone is on board.”
Carol Booth, co-founder of Monkey Helpline, which rescues and rehabilitates vervet monkeys, said: “Feeding them isn’t a massive problem, if it’s done right.”