Beware of baboons

Baboon warning:

This year Nature’s Valley has been experiencing serious and escalating problems with baboons that enter homes in search of food, causing chaos and damage. Visitors who spend a few days or at most a few weeks on holiday in the Valley are unaware of this situation, and their unwitting actions can compound problems. So please:

·        Keep doors and windows closed. Baboons will enter a house in search of food and trash it.

·        Do not leave any form of food outside and keep food out of sight of windows. Feeding or putting out food for baboons is prohibited and a maximum fine of R3000 can be levied.

·        Store garbage in a baboon proof bin or where baboons cannot access it. Deposit black bags inside the waste transfer station structure when departing.

·        Do not confront baboons or come between them and food. Do not try to take back something they have grabbed. They can become very aggressive.

Boetie Butthead, the Bushpig

This poor animal is not very sociable and tends to butt a lot so please do not feed him. It is fine to leave food out for him but do not approach him or feed him personally as he is so socially challenged that he seems in doubt sometimes whether to wait or butt!

Otherwise, we have finished our renovation and the upstairs bathroom is looking splendid. Hope you will all enjoy it.

We are unfortunately leaving Nectar Cottage again. Till next time ...

What's up at Nectar Cottage

After seeing up to 3 families a night pass through Nectar's gardens many years ago to seeing one single bushbig for the last year is distressing to say the least. "Boetie" as we have named him, is probably the son of an older bushpig we had named "Lucy" who frequented Nectar's gardens for years and used to eat apples from my hand. Alas, we haven't seen her for about 18 months are fear she must be dead. Her son now comes on his own. He has always been very skittish and tends to bolt and charge unexpectedly. I now see that he only has partial vision in his right eye which no doubt hampers his vision and judgement. He is obviously hungry and we leave all our scraps for him (he has his favourites and his dislikes) and are pleased that we can contribute to the eco-system we habitate in - for how ever long we are here - rather than hamper it.

"Peg Leg" as Hamid, who is renovating Nectar, has named her, is an endearling one-footed wagtail who comes to the large terracce every day to peck around and look at you as if to say: anything for me today? She loves cheese, biltong, rusks, etc, but eats very little. She may have lost her one foot in fishing tackle; but walks confidently with her peg-leg.