ZABIBU

One of the pests that we have to contend with are baboons. They love ripe grapes! There is a large troop of them that live down in the valley and sleep up high on the rocky crags in the valley bottom. They spend their day foraging insects and fruit through the bush up the hill and at the top of the hill is the tastiest fruit of all, in tight shiny red and white bunches.

When we went on our walk this afternoon to the vineyard the baboons were calling from the bushes and tree tops not too far away, perhaps planning a raid. With the bird scarers in the vineyard its unlikely they will try to get in but they have done in the past. We have put up a baboon proof electric fence to keep them out. Have you ever seen a baboon get a high voltage shock and be thrown vertical 15 ft into the air?

They are highly intelligent animals and will climb up the post carefully avoiding the wires and jump into the vineyard, or jump of trees if you let the trees grow within jumping reach of the fence. So we have to put wires running out from the post as well as between the post to stop them doing this. The fence is powered by a small solar panel which charges the battery. It has occasionaly hit us too as we walk under the gate and dont bend under the top wire. It does not only get the baboons however. Poor Meave had a nasty shock from the fence the other week and landed on her back on the path. Woopsee!