About the Author

Jess Shillaw

Guest contributor

Jess was born in Kwazulu/Natal but grew up in Cape Town. Having an innate love for all things wild but getting to spend little time in the bush while growing up, she headed straight for the Lowveld after school. She completed a guiding ...

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12 Comments

on Vervet Monkeys Raid Weaver Nests

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Marinda Drake
Master Tracker

This is really an amazing sighting.

Joan Schmiidt
Master Tracker

Jess, I loved all the photos. Especially one photos🤗

Vin Beni
Master Tracker

Some of the light-hearted moments at meals are watching the monkeys demonstrate their omnivorous eating habits. I have a great photo of one with a piece of bacon hanging from its mouth.

Victoria Auchincloss
Master Tracker

Sometimes nature is cruel in the battle for survival! I am sorry for the weavers but those vervets are extremely clever , which is why we always try and remember to lock our villa doors when we leave! Hope some chicks did not get found and that this episode won’t drive away the weavers! Happy New Tear to you all! Victoria

Christa Blessing
Master Tracker

The photos are great, especially the one in which the weavers are building the nest! However, it is really sad that the monkeys were able to help themselves to the eggs and chicks. It must really be horrifying for the poor birds to watch their nest being destroyed and their babies killed.

Kara Taylor
Master Tracker

That is really quite sad for the weavers- how did the monkeys get over to the island – is the water quite shallow?

Michael and Terri Klauber
Master Tracker

Jess, Your images are beautiful! The story is sad though, but that is life in the “real world”. Those monkeys can really be a nuisance, not just to us, but for those unfortunate birds!

Paul Canales
Master Tracker

Great post Jess! Those nests are beautifully intricate, so it’s sad to see them torn up, let alone their contents being pillaged. Life in the bush, though, must go forward.

Leonie De Young
Master Tracker

I feel sorry for the weavers in that they take such painstaking time to build their nests and then to have this happen and to lose their chicks and eggs devastating. However, this is nature and the law of survival of the fittest. Hopefully they will build another nest and have some success. Thanks for this interesting blog Jess. Happy New Year to you all.

Callum Evans
Master Tracker

Wow!! I knew that monkeys would raid bird nests but I didn’t know they would go for weavers!

Cally Staniland
Master Tracker

Jess, stunning photos but with a sad tale 😟..all that beautiful work ripped apart in seconds and chicks lost to the colony. Nature creates it’s own balance so I’m sure it will even out as is intended, rather than through our intervention. 🙏

Joanne Wadsworth Kelley
Master Tracker

The image of the two weavers working together is exceptional. Not happy about the monkeys.

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