TRAVEL: by Eric Mackenzie Lamb
Only a few mammal species exist in St Kitts and Nevis, most of which were introduced by French sailors over 300 years ago as pets. Today, it’s estimated that the monkey population exceeds 60,000, almost double the human population. Seeing them is a quintessential experience for many visitors. A few tourists have even spotted a man in Nevis walking along the side of the road with a monkey sitting on his shoulders-virtually the same position as a father with his baby.
Then I had an idea which I presented to the Nevis tourism board: a monkey crossing road sign. They erected the signs at various points around the island, including next to Four Seasons.
Soon after, I saw the same signs in neighboring St Kitts, which puzzled me as I had never sent any there. I mentioned this to Mark Brantley, the Premier of Nevis. “Not surprising”, he told me. “Just think about it this way: imitation is the best form of flattery”.
In some Asian countries, especially those which practice Buddhism, monkeys are considered holy and it’s forbidden to disturb them.
When I first moved to Nevis, I soon learned that the animals were very aggressive. They would pluck and eat my flowers, especially hibiscus, and cause a lot of damage to my garden. And that’s without mentioning the fecal droppings they’d leave on outdoor furniture.
That’s when I got an idea: I enlarged an image of Donald Trump, along with a warning DO NOT TRESPASS, and attached it to the boundary fence. After that, no monkeys came around for months.
I had to ask myself: did they know something we don’t?
