Troops, Troops Everywhere

jenussi8
Oct 1
2 min read

Updated: Oct 2

I’ve always loved primates and I’ve been so incredibly lucky to spend time with quite a few over the years. The gorillas of Uganda left me breathless – their sheer size, their calm strength, the way even the silverbacks seemed somehow gentle as they herded their families through the forest.

In Rwanda, the golden monkeys were the opposite: small, playful bundles of mischief that darted through the bamboo like sparks from a fire. In Gibraltar, the Barbary macaques kept a watchful eye on everyone, bold and cheeky, daring you to look away for a second so they could snatch your snack (or your phone, for that matter!).

And then, of course, there are the baboons and vervet monkeys of Southern Africa. We’ve spent months among them, on the road, in the bush and at campsites where they steal fruit, bread, or even a foil-wrapped potato straight from the fire. They are troublemakers, yes, but they are also tight-knit families. I’ve seen fathers patiently carrying youngsters, siblings tumbling over each other, and mothers keeping a sharp eye out for danger. Watching a troop is exactly like watching my four younger brothers when we were growing up – they squabble, they squawk, they scramble over one another – but no matter what, they were always, always together.

It's that unity and family bonding that really inspires my stories, and maybe I do go totally overboard in the Casperverse, because everything leans towards joy and peace and harmony. In the latest book, even baboons and leopards (age-old enemies) forgive each other - but at least only in that particular part of the bush. But that’s the point I really wanted to make (dream of?) - change doesn’t have to happen everywhere at once. It can begin in one place, in one story, one family, one backyard - in one moment. Maybe it’s just my own wishful thinking sneaking in – a hope that if animals can find common ground on the page, then perhaps we can, little by little, off the page too.

Maybe that’s why primates fascinate us so much. They remind us that we’re not so different – we laugh, we fight, we look after one another. And like them, we’re strongest when we stay connected.