Monkey versus Snake

Vervet monkeys are a very common monkey species in Southern Africa. They are frequently seen close to picnic areas or even campsites, looking for scraps of food left by people. One day, we were staying in the campsite of the Zimbabwe ruins in Masvingo. While having breakfast in the morning, a troop of vervet monkeys came pretty close to see what was going on. Monkeys are very curious, they keep an eye on every movement while playing with one another. Also, they probably were looking for any food leftovers they could grab, but we know enough to not allow them that opportunity.

We also know that monkeys are afraid of snakes, so we wanted to see if their curiosity could overcome their natural fear of snakes. We left a rubber snake on top of a picnic table and kept some distance to see what these monkeys would do with it. It was very funny to watch (and difficult to keep the camera steady due to the laughing). Just see for yourself if they would overcome their fear with their curiosity.