Monkey Crime Scene: Inside the Wild World of Vervet Monkey Street Gangs

Inside these high walls, street gangs are roaming out of control. But things aren't all they seem. The razor wire and electric fences that keep certain intruders at bay surrounds a luxury golfing estate in South Africa. A 500-acre man-made Eden called Mount Edgecombe. And the gangs? Vervet monkeys. Primates with attitude. Breeding season's here, and the blue-blooded males are out to prove who's the daddy. Newcomers watch from the sidelines, tough guys show that all's fair in love and war. The ultimate prize? To get your genes into the next generation. And with so much at stake, tensions are running high in the party troupe. At Mount Edgecombe Country Club Estate, appearances can be deceptive. Vervet monkeys are normally a pretty laid-back accommodating lot. But scratch this tranquil surface, and not everything's quite as it seems. Like their primate cousins, Vervet males are very competitive, and rivalries boil beneath the surface. But it's the Vervet sisterhood who rule the roost. Leader of the party troupe, Bess, and her girls defend their patch from rival gangs. For the girls, it's all about holding on to their prime piece of real estate, in which to safely raise their young. The males have a distinctly different agenda. As mating season approaches, alpha male brains and the rest of the Edgecombe boys become increasingly preoccupied with one thing. It's every monkey for himself for the boys in the Edgecombe hood. And there's almost nothing they won't do to get some female action. Whatever the cost to the rest of the troupe. A baby. Struck down in the middle of the mating season. It's impossible to know what emotions Vervets feel, but this female seems unable to let go of her loss. Was this an accident, or a crime of passion? Such a serious incident demands a full crime scene investigation. There have been a series of recent attacks on the party troupe's juveniles and infants. Many youngsters carry the scars. And some don't survive. An infant who's still suckling is well protected, but once it's out of its mother's arms, it's at risk. Complex social bonds within the troupe mean infanticide is extremely rare. Outsiders aren't bound by these rules and could actually benefit by taking a young life. By killing other males' offspring, the perpetrator removes future competition and brings the mother back into season early. Giving the killer a chance to mate. From a human perspective, this is premeditated and wicked. But from the morally neutral eye of evolution, the tactic makes sense. It gives the males an advantage in their most vital challenge, passing on their genes. It's a strategy found amongst most primates, and many other species too. If this is infanticide, who would be capable of doing it? Could this be the work of a rival troupe? More than one vervet troupe lives in or around Mount Edgecombe. The Sugarcane Gang live outside the estate and have been nibbling away at the edge of the Parni's prime territory. But they've never managed to penetrate the heart of their turf, the secluded Parni bush. And certainly have never been alone with the Parni infants. Could this be an inside job? And if so, who are the prime suspects? Could it be the alpha male of the Parni troupe, Brains himself? His dominant position means Brains has virtually unlimited access to all the Parni females, and will have mated with each of them. He wouldn't risk killing his own offspring, and besides, Brains has always shown extraordinary tolerance to all of the Parni troupe youngsters. It's one of the reasons he's so popular with the ladies. Brains can be taken off the suspect list. What about long-term Parni troupe resident, Mr. Cool? Mr. Cool is the number two male in the troupe. His main concerns are defending his access to the females, and looking out for mating opportunities. Like Brains, he's probably mated with many of the females, and therefore probably sired some of their offspring. And like Brains, Cool hasn't showed any aggression towards infants before. Case dismissed. The focus of the investigation must move to the edge of the troupe. Robbie. A newcomer recently arrived on the scene. He's trying to enter the Parni male hierarchy, and he won't have mated with any of the Parni girls yet. So, in theory at least, Robbie knows the babies aren't his. So he's nothing to lose by committing infanticide. But he's timid and cautious, and his nature suits playing the waiting game. It's unlikely he'd risk such an act, but he can't be ruled out yet. This leaves Tyson. Like Robbie, he's a lone male, an outsider to the Parni troupe. But unlike Robbie, he's got a reputation for being a real thug. He's a prime suspect in the attacks on some of the juveniles, and there are some witnesses prepared to testify against him. The first time I met Tyson was when I started my centre for injured animals, and he came to visit. He grabbed a baby through the cage and wouldn't let go. He also actually bit one of the baby's tails off. He just became this real bully in my eyes, and I sort of recall seeing all these one-eared or half-eared monkeys on the estate, and sort of one and one made two, and I'm sure Tyson had a lot to do with that. He's been wandering the streets of Mount Edgecombe alone for years, and apart from that ravaged tail, he's in good condition and can look after himself. But what would Tyson's motive be? To sneak matings with the Parni females when the males aren't looking. There's no direct evidence, but Tyson is primate suspect number one. During the mating season, the Parni females like to keep their males close and sweet, to make sure they'll defend them from any outside marauding males. But the Parni males sometimes have other irons in the fire. Leaving the females unprotected. Tyson is on the prowl. With his half-tail battle scar and body packed with muscle, he cuts a menacing presence. But, being a loner, he's not had much experience in the social skills needed to win over the very selective Parni girls. If he gets his approach right, and keeps out of sight of the Parni males, Tyson could get a piece of the action. And where are Tyson's rivals? Looks like his lucky day. Dominant male, Brains, is absent from the troop. He's been out on patrol around the clubhouse, but starts heading back. But, for the time being, the coast is still clear for Tyson. If Tyson sees an opportunity, he takes it. There are no dress rehearsals in the mating game. It could be Tyson's only chance to mate with a Parni female. The sisterhood face a quandary. There's no denying Tyson's attributes. But he's also an unknown. He's not mated with any of them yet, and therefore feels no vested interest towards their babies. The recent infanticide is a grim warning. For alpha male, Brains, a newcomer like Tyson is not welcome. It's his job to prevent relationships forming between females and any outsiders or lower-ranking males. This way, he protects his status and his chances of fathering the most babies. The female position is more tricky. Female vervets give very little away. They don't advertise any external signs during the few days that they're actually fertile. This is a mechanism scientists call concealed ovulation. The females will mate with several males in the breeding season, even when they aren't fertile. So no male ever knows if the resulting offspring is his. If they all think they could be the daddy, then they'll all want to protect their heirs. It's this element of doubt that can make the difference between life and death for baby vervets. Brains, the top male, has finally arrived on the scene. And from the trees, he spots Tyson receiving the attention of the party girls. Tyson's blatant presence is an open challenge to Brains, and will need to be dealt with sooner or later. Brains has been at the top of the slippery pole of vervet power for the last four years. Being alpha male affords a pretty cushy lifestyle. Not only will he have the pick of the females, but everyone wants to groom him. This is what each aspiring young wannabe male dreams of one day enjoying. The juveniles will assume you're the daddy, or at least a favourite uncle. And Brains certainly cuts a pretty good role model, spending much of his time playing with the young ones. After all, many are actually his. So what makes Brains so popular? Well, he has the right coloured credentials. Vervet testicles show varying intensities of blue. And having a bright blue pair is like blue blood. The bluer you are, the higher your rank. Blue pigment is very rare in mammals. Confident, healthy males build up higher blood serotonin levels, which leads to bluer testicles. Lower ranking males are more stressed and produce less serotonin, so sport lighter coloured testes. Brains may be the king of the blues for now, but even kings can't afford to sit on their laurels. Brains' position is up for grabs 365 days a year. So far, no challenger has been successful. Brains, like all male vervets, seeks to avoid actual conflict. Brains is better served by letting other males with more to prove than him do his dirty work. And Mr Cool is just such a monkey. The Edgecombe estate has a number of key strategic positions that can become territorial flashpoints. The Clubhouse Bridge, for one. Bess and her girl gang have gathered on the bridge to check out a rather handsome stranger. Gizmo is from rival Sugarcane Gang. But today, he's given the rest of his troop the slip and struck out on his own. For the Pawnee girls, a new male is a novelty. A potential fighting and fit father for their offspring. But is he a true blue? Alpha male Brains lets second ranking Mr Cool sort this one out. Established Pawnee males don't want rivals on their patch. They know exactly what they're up to. Mr Cool sees Gizmo as a threat and charges in. Mr Cool can congratulate himself for nipping the situation in the bud. Brains has done even better. He's let one of his subordinates manage the situation without having to raise a finger. That's smart. But Cool isn't in the clear yet. There's another challenger to deal with, this time closer to home. Mr Brown, a mid-ranking Pawnee male, has been laying low. Perhaps hoping to seize a mating opportunity whilst the girls are excited. Blue is the colour of power, and even an untrained eye can see that Mr Brown is at the paler end of the spectrum. Mr Cool wastes no time in pulling rank. His drill is well practised. He intimidates Mr Brown with a show that's designed to impress anyone who may be watching. For Mr Cool, the enforcer, his work is done, for now. The threat averted, a confident Mr Cool herds the girls back into the cover of the Pawnee bush. Robbie seems to be the only male playing by the rules. Waiting until he's accepted into the troop before trying to mate. Brains makes it clear Robbie has to work his way up from the bottom. Brains' teeth are a formidable weapon. Any challenger should take heed. The night, they say, is made for lovers. And as the African sun slips below the horizon, opportunists and outsiders have a much better chance of slipping through the net. It could be Tyson's only chance to mate. Night time is the right time for undercover activities that clear the way for mating. Or for settling old scores. Next morning, the Pawnee troop wake and prepare for the day. Peace has returned to the Edgecombe estate. But, in spite of his frequent stalking of the females, Tyson is nowhere to be seen. Conflicts between monkeys happen, but vervets very rarely fight to the death. By far the greatest cause of fatality are clashes with their super primate neighbours, man. The rising number of vervet deaths, both accidental but also deliberate, has grown over the years. And although laws are in place to protect the monkeys, some people think not nearly enough is being done. Foremost among South Africa's animal welfare activists are Steve Smith and his partner Carol Booth. We feel that we've impacted so heavily on their habitat. We have such a negative impact on the population through motor vehicles and people shooting them and dogs killing them and being electrocuted. That we actually have a moral obligation to try and help the ones we can. Steve works in real estate, but he's so committed to rescuing injured monkeys, he hasn't sold a house for months. Steve and Carol have volunteered on the front line of monkey rescue for over 20 years, rescuing up to five monkeys a day. They're the only rescue operation in the whole of KwaZulu-Natal province. When there's a monkey down, everything takes a back seat. This time, they've heard that a seriously injured monkey is on a rooftop. It's Tyson. How the mighty have fallen. The last time Tyson was seen, he was lording it up with some of the Pani females. Now, bloodied and beaten, he's been alone on this roof for hours, and his injuries look very serious indeed. It's unclear who inflicted these wounds on Tyson, but what is clear is that Tyson has paid a heavy price for his impatience. Traumatised and vulnerable, Tyson's instinct is to hide. But injuries like these are unlikely to heal by themselves. In the wild, this would be a death sentence, and his only hope, although he doesn't know it, is Steve. For the vervets, Tyson is an outcast and possible baby killer. Steve and Carol just see a monkey in trouble. When they get injured in a fight with another male, they're quite severe injuries often. They're very sharp, they look as if they've been lacerated with a knife, and they feel very sorry for themselves. They go off on their own and they'll sit in the sun looking very depressed. So I'm going to go and get on the roof on the other side, where I can get up, come across, and see what we do from there. These look like life-threatening wounds. In the humid heat of coastal Africa, septicemia, or blood poisoning, is the first of many threats facing Tyson. I can see an injury on his waist that's quite bad. It's not going to be an easy challenge as Steve sets off across the rooftops. Unless Tyson cooperates, his days could be numbered. Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey, they say. But Tyson doesn't want to be caught. Despite Steve's efforts, Tyson slips through the net and escapes. Whether or not Tyson will live to fight another day remains to be seen. Either way, Tyson, once the villain, the scourge and terror of the Pani juveniles, has ended up the victim. Without the support of the troop, the life of a lone male is very tough. As night falls, Tyson is defenceless, dehydrated, starving, and utterly alone. In the volatile world of the vervets, Tyson is not the only monkey facing uncertainty. The whole Pani troop are about to find out how precarious their own security is. Sugarcane fields used to stretch across all this landscape. But, acre by acre, they're being torn up for building sites. For the monkey troop eking out a living in these remaining fields, the grass is definitely greener on the other side of the fence. Three and a half metres of electric wire may deter human neighbours, but it's no obstacle for the determined band of primates heading into Mount Edgecombe and Pani territory. With little mouths to feed, the sugarcane gang, a mob of 22, have snuck in from the wastelands across the road to come and see if this smart new development could be somewhere they too could make a home for themselves. It's the second time the gang have come to check out this construction site. The first time, they were evicted by the Pani troop. But ladies' man Gizmo and the rest of his crew are now back, hoping to establish their credentials as the new kids on the block. This time, they're prepared to hold their ground to claim squatter's rights. Just like the female Panis, the sugarcane females are preoccupied with real estate. Their job is to secure the best possible resources for their offspring. In vervet society, possession isn't nine-tenths of the law, it is the law. The ever-curious Mr Cool is the first to spot the intruders. The sugarcane kids are blissfully unaware that they have a stranger in their midst. Mr Cool moves in. You might think he'd attack the interlopers, but he sees a personal opportunity for a quick fling. Whilst Gizmo's back is turned, he's going to see how close he can get to the ladies. For Mr Cool, this isn't about asserting rights over new territory, it's about meeting and mating with new females, if they'll let him. It's risky, but it cuts out all the politics and manoeuvring he'd have to go through to mate in his own troop. Lone male intruders are easily outnumbered. Mr Cool isn't a threat, but an object of curiosity. But Mr Cool begins to outstay his welcome. And while he could handle the protest of one female, two girls could easily drive him away. Cool is nothing if not persistent. Sugar male Gizmo eyeballs the situation. If the females sort it out, they'll spare Gizmo any physical confrontation and the risk of injury. The sugar girls have no problem moving Mr Cool off. If males get a kick out of seeing rivals unceremoniously turned down, then this is Gizmo's moment. The females had the upper hand this time, and Gizmo didn't even have to get his paws dirty. Mr Cool slopes off. With so many tempting females so close by, it might be worth risking the humiliation of a return visit soon. Opportunistic Gizmo and Cool have both been sent home by each other's unimpressed sisterhoods. Tyson crossed the line so badly, someone left him fighting for his life. Meanwhile Robbie, the other lone male on the estate, has been pursuing a very different tactic from the unfortunate Tyson. Joining any club isn't easy, and the Parnys are, with their unique territory, a selective lot. They don't take just anyone. Hopefuls need to prove themselves, and Robbie has been subjected to a hostile membership committee. He's had to put up with a lot of aggression as part of his initiation, including the humiliation of being driven off by juveniles. But Robbie's no quitter, he's here for the duration, a tortoise to Tyson's hair. He's going to go the distance, and unlike Tyson, Robbie knows how to play the waiting game. Sawpaw is the lowest ranking of the Parny girls, and like Robbie, often finds herself alone. For males who transfer between groups, it's par for the course to enter at the bottom of the ladder. Robbie comes to check out Sawpaw, keeping a careful watch on other males who may be around. Sawpaw's advances make the cautious Robbie nervous, particularly with brains not a million miles away. In an extraordinary act of self-restraint, Robbie resists Sawpaw's very clear invitation. A wise move if he's to keep in brains his good books. Sawpaw's no great catch, and if Robbie's caught in the act, he could, like Tyson, face a serious beating. He'll bide his time for now, but Robbie will eventually have to take on higher ranking males to claim his mating rights. But he'll do so when the rewards justify the risks. Monkey rescuers Steve Smith and Carol Booth have not given up on Tyson. He's still at large, but time is running out for him. Searching from the ground is a thankless task. The monkeys have the run of all the rooftops of Mount Edgecombe. The green tiles have replaced their forest canopy in the wild. Wherever Tyson is hiding, the parnies will find him sooner or later, even if Steve and Carol don't. It's been 24 hours since Tyson was last spotted. He's in bad shape, with major injuries to his knee and abdomen. He may have evaded Steve, but there's no getting away from the parny troop and the inevitable face-off with his unknown attacker. Mid-ranking male Mr Brown arrives on the scene first, to find an anxious Tyson. In his weakened and vulnerable state, Tyson the bully is unusually submissive. His lip-smacking is a plea for acceptance. The exchange between these males is one of positive affection. Clearly, Brown had nothing to do with the attack on Tyson. Next, it's the boss himself. Alpha male brains. Mr Brown immediately makes way for his superior. Tyson's submissive lip-smacking goes into overdrive. The alpha male remains inscrutable, neither friendly nor aggressive. The aloof leader of the gang, sure of his position and in total command. Tyson knows that brains could take this situation in either direction. He chooses to leave Tyson to stew in the midday sun, in agony. Would his attacker be so casual? If it wasn't brains who slashed Tyson, who was it? Tyson may be about to find out. Brains' ever-vigilant deputy, Mr Cool, is Tyson's third and final visitor. The strong reaction between the two monkeys suggests there's no love lost here. Tyson seems terrified of the approach. Mr Cool circles Tyson, lifting his tail to flag the red, white and blue of a confident and healthy high-ranking vervet, forcing his authority on the desperate Tyson. But this could be a risky game. Cool is wise to keep a safe distance. Pushed to the edge, Tyson could still do some serious damage. He's backed into a corner and so starts lip-smacking frantically. But Cool ignores his pleas. As if he has a point to prove, Cool comes back for more and the exhausted Tyson faces another round of merciless domination. It's clear Cool wants Tyson to leave the parnies forever. Cool exits without risking injury. The job has been done. The once formidable Tyson is a spent force, his body and confidence shattered. Abandoned by all, his survival now depends on whether his human cousins can save him. Tyson is now out of the mating game. But each new dawn brings new opportunities for the drowsy parny males. As the residents of Mount Edgecombe's estate start to stir, the troop struggles to wake. Like humans in need of a strong cup of coffee to kick-start their day, sunbathing shakes off the chill of the night and warms up the gang for another day of adventures. Or maybe not. His confidence at an all-time high, Mr Cool has turned his attentions back towards the parny females. Nothing succeeds like success and with his reputation rising, now is the time to capitalise and call in some favours. When the potential for mating is there in your own backyard, there's no reason to go looking elsewhere. Mr Cool is enjoying the intimate attentions of Nancy, a mid-ranking parny girl. Finally, it seems Mr Cool is living up to his name. The females keep the loyalty of their males by grooming them, particularly up-and-coming celebrities like Mr Cool. But newcomer Robbie's not so lucky. He's still trying to ingratiate himself both with the males and females of the party troop. He has his sights on party girl Lena. He's exercised extreme caution up until now, but that doesn't mean he's not interested. And you have to break the ice sooner or later or nothing will happen. He tries to seize the moment with Lena. Nice try, but she's having none of it. In vervet society, he who tries and runs away lives to try another day. Unlike Tyson, Robbie is still in the race. Tyson's situation is now critical. Monkey Helpline has received another tip-off and Steve and Carol are back on the case. It's been 36 hours since he's eaten or drunk anything. Tyson's hunger gets the better of him and he falls for the oldest trick in the book, a banana. Steve needs to act fast. He's so hungry. Thanks. Wasn't that nice, boy? You always find yourself feeling a little bit of shakiness when you catch a big monkey like this because the risk of getting bitten is pretty big and hopefully you never will get bitten, but every time you catch one you think, well that's one I've caught without getting bitten, that means I'm one closer to the day where I might get bitten. Always shaky. It's not fun. I think the reason we don't get bitten, we treat every capture with absolute circumspection. Never take it for granted, never get familiar. Every one of them has got the capacity to really, really, really inflict terrible injuries and I actually don't want that. Tyson has been given a very real chance. He just doesn't know it. Mount Edgecombe is his world. A world he's now taken from, possibly never to return. His fate rests in the hands of monkey ER vet, Kerry Eason. Kerry has seen her fair share of injured vervets, particularly at this time of year when Steve and Carol arrive almost daily with a new emergency case. Carol held up some bananas for him. When he came down to take the banana, we scooped him up. Okey dokes, let's just knock him out. There's nothing to worry about. We can weigh him. We can work out some doses. He's still a little bit awake. Oh, he's a nice heavy chap. See those deep cuts that look as if they've been cut with a machete. Those are the canines of the male monkeys. That is one inch and it's as sharp as a needle. But it's not just a needle, it's got a sharp edge there, a cutting edge, so it's like a scalpel. When that monkey bites, that tooth goes in at its full length, and then it actually cuts as it's pulling it out. These injuries are only ever inflicted on other monkeys when they are attacking another male, but they won't attack an animal of another species, except when they're doing it in defence. The people see these kinds of injuries and they say that the monkeys have been attacked by somebody who's cut them with a very sharp bush knife. They don't realise that these injuries are inflicted by other monkeys. OK, we're just trying to close this wound partially, just to speed up the healing. I would never stitch this closed if it was still as dirty as this top bit here. Otherwise you're asking for an abscess. If Tyson pulls through the next few anxious hours, he'll be heading for some R&R at Twin Palms, Lynette Weber's monkey nursing home on Mount Edgecombe. The estate has clear guidelines about human-monkey contact and feeding the monkeys is prohibited, but that doesn't stop Lynette. Lynette has the monkeys' best interest at heart, but there are also those who see feeding as having a negative effect on what are, after all, wild animals. But Lynette feels humans have had such a detrimental effect on vervets, she can't turn those who need her help away. Even rogues like Tyson. We have to just monitor him for the next few days. A lot of them manage like that for a long time, it just takes longer to heal. Obviously we'd like him to be healthy by the time he leaves. The operation may be over, but there's still a long way to go before Tyson's safely rehabilitated and back on the streets. Although Tyson is now out of the frame, alpha male brains can never rest easy. The price of power is eternal vigilance, and up on the canopy of the Parney bush, brains watches from a distance as a rather unusual relationship unfolds. During the mating season, when the stakes are at their highest, the male hierarchy can become unsettled. Mr Cool and Mr Brown grooming each other may seem innocent enough, but could there be more to this than meets the eye? Cool's star has recently been on the rise, and for brains, this is not a good time to have a clique developing in his troop. Brains moves in to break up the mutual appreciation society. Mr Cool lip smacks and cowers in submission. It seems brains has still got the X factor necessary to reimpose his authority. Back at Twin Palms, Lynette shows Steve and Carol the way to Tyson's new home for the foreseeable future. Lynette's not taking any chances with the rest of her charges. Tyson might be sick, but he still looks like he can throw his weight around. It's solitary confinement for him. He is still a bit dozy as you can see. I'll help him there now. As soon as he's had a few minutes just to orientate himself, he'll be fine. Kerry the vet knows wild animals want to be wild, and has used dissolvable stitches just in case Tyson escapes. He's already looking for ways out. Tyson can expect little sympathy from the Parnys who continue to visit Twin Palms for their daily picnic, courtesy of Lynette. Although he's going to be well looked after, it goes against Tyson's character to be caged. Especially now, during the mating season, when all the other boys in the hood are free to roam. The mating season has turned the Parnys' world upside down. The death of the infant remains a mystery, but the consequences have ricocheted through the Parny troop. Tyson's downfall has coincided with Mr Cool's ascent. Robbie has also tried to profit from the situation, but has been left nursing more than just wounded pride. Alpha male Brains remains the leader. He'll need to keep a close watch on his competitors as the mating season unfolds. These are uncertain and volatile times, and the sugar cane gang are massing at the edges of Brains' world. The Parny troop had better be on their guard if they're to retain their turf. The sugars won't stay sweet forever. And, in a final twist, Tyson surprises everyone yet again. It's quite a nightmare when it happens. It's not something you proud yourself on, to have a monkey escape. Once again, Tyson is at large on Mount Edgecombe. The stay here was probably made more adamant to terrorise the troops. With a rogue male on the loose, and a gang war looming, will the Parnys sleep easy in their much-prized paradise?