Capturing Monkeys.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 12 June 1914, Page 2

Capturing Monkeys.

Monkeys are pretty common ; yet, as all the family are remarkably cunning, lias it ever occurred to the reader how they are taken ? Pitfalls will take a lion, and the famished tiger will, after a few days' starvation, dart into a cage containing food, and thus be secured. But how are monkeys caught ? The ape family resembles man. Their vices are human. They love liquor, and fall. In Central Africa the natives make a fermented beer, of which the monkeys are passionately fond. Aware of this, the natives go to the parts of the forest frequented by the monkeys, and set on the ground calabashes full of the enticing liquor. As soon as the monkey sees and tastes it, he utters loud cries of joy that soon attract his comrades. Then an orgie begins, and in a short time they all show signs of intoxication. Then the negroes appear. Some of the drinkers are too far gone to realise who they arc, but apparently take them for larger species of their I own genus. The negroes take ! some up, and these begin to weep and cover them w:ith maudlin- kisses. When the negro takes one by the . hand to lead him off, the nearest i monkey will cling to the one who ! thus finds a support, and endeavour \ to go on also ; another will clutch ! at him, and so on, until the negro leads a staggering line of ten or a dozen tipsy monkeys. When finally brought to the vil- ' lage, the monkeys are securely caged j and gradually sobered down ; but ; for two or three days a gradually I diminishing supply of liquor is given them, so as to reconcile them by ] degrees to their state of captivity, j