The Beginning . . . .

When I was young my family spent some time abroad. We were fortunate to visit many places, and one of my favorites was, and still is, the Yankari game reserve in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Not known for its amenities, Yankari is a place where you can, if lucky, see elephants, lions, crocodiles, hippos, and other types of African wildlife. There are two attractions at Yankari that are not dependent on luck. The hot spring and the baboons. Yankari has a naturally occurring hot spring that flows from underground at the base of a cliff, forming a river of perfectly clear water, with a white sand bottom. It is simply a beautiful place to spend time, and the water is around 70 degrees year round. In order to enjoy the hot springs, you must be willing to brave the droves of wild baboons that frequent the hot springs and guest houses of Yankari. It is not uncommon to see babboons playing in the trees over and around the springs. Occasionally a mother will bring a young baboon down to the water for a bath, and if you are very lucky a baboon will lose a wrestling match on an overhanging branch, or on the face of the cliff and you will get to watch as it plummets into the water below and then scrambles to the shore again. Sounds great right? What I have yet to mention is why these baboons are comfortable being so close to humans, when all of the other wildlife in the park is elusive at best. The answer is very simple. Baboons are relentless in their pursuit of food. There is never a bag left unattended by the side of the hot spring. As soon as its human guardian abandons it for the warmth of the water, a baboon arrives to search its contents for food. Many a camera has been tossed through the air by a baboon hoping to find more valuable items. Greatly dismayed is the visitor who neglects to lock the door to their guest hut, and returns to find a baboon sitting on their bed eating candy, or bubble gum, or a banana, with the contents of the guest's luggage strewn about the room. Family friends have related stories of waking up from an afternoon nap to find themselves face to face with a baboon who had been ransacking the room. My own grandmother had to use motherly indimidation (that's right, she used "the look") to retreive her suitcase from a marauding baboon. My point in this story is very simple, paradise comes with a cost. You want to float down a beautiful African river with monkeys playing over-head and the chance to see elephants? Fine, just lock your doors and don't take anything outside other than the clothes on your back. Oh yeah, and be willing to stand your ground if approached by a monkey the size of a large dog. A small price to pay if you ask me. Seriously though, are we all that different from these animals? Boorishly pursuing our hearts desires with no regard to the paradise around us. So I guess that's what this blog thing is all about for now, stories about life, and about us, The Baboons of Yankari.