Vervet monkey hunting in South Africa

Two species of monkeys occur in South Africa, the Samango Monkey, a forest dwelling monkey and the more common Vervet Monkey. Samango Monkeys are protected in South Africa therefore only Vervet Monkeys are available for hunting purposes. This small grey Monkey with a black face has a long tail with a dark tip. Vervet Monkeys occur mostly in the northern and eastern regions of the country and riverine areas along the major rivers in the country in the more arid regions. Suburban habitats have increased in their ranges where they often come into conflict with man. The best provinces to hunt them are the Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. Vervet Monkeys can be very destructible little creatures when a troop raids a vegetable crop, maize (corn) or sugar cane field. With their sharp eyesight and alarm calls they can often be difficult to stalk under these conditions. The best time to hunt them is early on a winter’s morning when they sit sunning themselves like candles on a Christmas tree. They often become camp pests and steal food and fruit from the kitchen and rooms. Vervet Monkeys are considered as a species of least concern by the IUCN. However if trophies are imported to the United States, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has special import regulations that concern the importation of these trophies.