'Bugs' did extremely well and the wild troop that I had become friendly with and who accepted me as one of their own, soon accepted my 'baby'.

In fact Rodney witnessed a very touching scene. I was standing on the veranda with the little one, when a wild mother with her baby came across the lawn. Although she had to pass numerous dogs, my pet pig and a number of
cats, she came up to me, patted me on the leg and held her baby out for me to see. I did the same. Rodney was watching all this from an upstairs window.

I am not ashamed to admit that tears were running down my cheeks at the trust this wild animal was showing me. My thoughts were "My God, and they shoot you and your kind!"

From that moment on I decided I would do all I could to help any orphans, injured wild Vervets or cast off 'pets' . . . and so APES was born.

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Because of her injury she was ‘slower’ than a normal monkey of her age.

Much to our delight Bugs reappeared with her troop approximately eight months later with a baby. She had become a wild monkey and had been fully accepted into the resident troop and visits at regular intervals!

Over time more and more casualties arrived and departed. Through word of mouth people got to know about us and soon we were being called for help and advice, rescue of sick and injured Vervets and educational talks at schools and in local communities.

All this work has been done with our own funds and a