Monkey Games

Two types of monkeys live at Arunachala. The less frequently seen is the Langur, and the more common is the Bonnet Macaque (pictured above).

Most of the Bonnet Macaques are socialised and the females and young uns will even take food directly from people. They are smart, inquisitive and seem to have a cheeky sense of humour! There are still some Macaque colonies on different parts of the Hill, but other groups have found life as scavengers on the pradakshina path and in town, much more to their liking.

Bonnet Macaque monkeys are also very mischievous and seem able to find trouble wherever they go! One day I watched a group of them tease some peacocks quite mercilessly; they just would not leave them alone. Eventually a peacock would have enough and take a flying leap into a nearby tree with its long tail fanning out behind; invariably one of the monkeys would jump up and grab some tail feathers as a trophy!

Obviously the peacocks weren't that distressed because they kept coming down from the trees and the whole game started up again! It all seemed like serious family rough-and-tumble!