I have been visiting South Africa and the Kruger Park and Marloth Park areas for several years but it was not until this year that I was lucky enough to attract a bushbaby to our veranda. These very cute small primates are very gregarious and live harmoniously together. They rest together during the daytime and come out to forage at night. Their day time resting place may be an old bird’s nest, a hollow between the roof and ceiling, an old pipe or drain etc. They leave their nest at the same time every evening.

Their vocalizations are varied grunts and moons when eating, clicking when finding unusual objects, moaning as a warning, and a rapid chittering when angry. One or two are born to the nest which is cleaned and relined for the birth. They eat small birds, eggs and fruit. Above is a resident bushbaby eating some banana and yoghurt which I have found to be a favorite. They were not interested in apples.

Along with the bushbabies visiting the veranda at dusk to eat the banana and yoghurt combination are fruit bats that fly back and forth over the plate of food then land and eat with their wings spread out. The bats and the bushbabies seem to take turns.

The bushbabies are generally cautious when then come to the veranda and start by grabbing a banana piece and quickly jumping back into the tree next to the veranda…after a while then will stay and enjoy some of the yoghurt as well. The plate is licked clean by morning.