I'm Bill Bailey and I'm in Cape Town to introduce you to three families of baboons.
The highway robbers of the Smitz troop...
the fun-loving bumpkins, the Tokai troop...
..and the urban scroungers of Da Gama.
We'll be following the fortunes of each family...
..and some of the challenges that man and beast face living cheek by jowl.
This time, the Tokai come to tea.
Yeah, checking us out.
And the Smitz drop by for lunch.
Hey!
That's my potato!
In the troop, there's more intrigue, politics, rivalry, violence and bad diet
than a provincial British town.
Life's not easy...being a baboon.
We're starting to get a clearer insight into the private lives of baboons,
and how fascinating they are.
And watching them ingeniously make use of their urban environment
is endlessly entertaining and endearing...
..but they're always going to be difficult to live alongside...
..because, to them, humans are a soft touch.
This is Merlin, grandfather of the Smitz troop.
He's lived on this stretch of coast road for years.
And he's become something of an expert thief.
But years of ripping off hapless tourists is strictly small-time stuff.
Today he's got his eyes on the big prize...
..the Black Marlin restaurant.
Usually the watchful presence of baboon monitors
stops Merlin in his tracks,
but today he's up early, before the monitors arrive.
Maybe he'll get lucky.
He stalks the place, casing the joint.
So far the coast is clear.
He sneaks in.
But where's the loot?
The tables are usually laden with top-quality snackage,
but Merlin's jumped the gun.
It's not even open for business yet.
Driven on by the prospect of a tasty treat,
he switches to plan B - break in.
A bag of bread makes a pleasant starter.
How did he get inside? That's brilliant. How did he get in?
I don't know. He's trying to get out.
But he's unaware there's a crowd gathering outside.
Merlin's been rumbled.
Time for a quick getaway.
But the windows are locked and the baboon bouncers are closing in.
But this wily old scoundrel just keeps his cool.
He heads for the kitchen door - just in the nick of time.
Come on, time to get out here, move.
Merlin just has time to check a bag of pasta.
But the authorities are hot on his heels.
A loose window, a clever and muscular monkey...
..and Merlin's out.
He's come away empty-handed but he's left a trail of chaos in his wake -
not a welcome sight for the kitchen staff as they arrive to start their day.
They've got amazing strength, these guys.
Merlin watches from a discreet distance as security is tightened up.
He's working out his next move - he's not giving up yet.
It's another fine day over Cape Town
and the city's residents head for the
a large pine plantation that's been set aside for human recreation as well as other primates.
In this case, it's the large Tokai troop.
(CHATTERING)
Though the pine trees are not native,
the ever-adaptable baboons were quick to take advantage
of the abundance of nutritious pine cones.
The cones fall naturally when ripe
but the youngsters tearing through the trees
keep the goodies showering down.
The cones themselves are pretty tough - a challenge for anybody's teeth -
but its not these rock-hard husks that are the object of their desires.
It's the tiny seeds nestled within, and the art is in digging them out.
is lead by bruiser, Danny.
He watches over the younger troop members enjoying their jungle gym.
This is moody adolescent, Manny.
And the new kid on the block, Clint.
competitor coming into the troop
but now the rest of the gang have accepted Clint, Manny's playing nice.
In reality, he sees that Clint could be a powerful ally.
Like all adolescents, the pair are bored, hanging around with the babies.
Danny, the gang's tough, split-nosed leader,
doesn't seem to notice as Manny and Clint slip off into the forest.
It looks as though their pine cone diet may be about to change.
A picnic site in the middle of the forest is a popular place for parties.
This one's going to have a baboon theme.
Manny waits till all the treats are lined up - then he makes his move.
Time to make an entrance.
(SHOUTING)
(THEY SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY)
Manny retreats to digest his spoils.
Oh, yeah, put the cakes in the car. Yeah, it's a bit late for that.
These kids have had a birthday to remember.
And the baboons have had a picnic - everyone's a winner.
The sign's here for a reason.
If you picnic in the forest, you can expect some company.
It seems that Clint and Manny have formed a truce.
Although greedy Manny has overdone it with the cake.
The nearby cafe is popular with people walking in the forest.
The car owners enjoying a cup of tea
are distracted by a baboon going through the bins,
and while the staff do their best to drive him away,
the diners are unaware of what's going on in the car park behind.
Anyone who parks here should think twice about it.
It's a motorist's nightmare. It's monkey mayhem.
What did baboons do for fun before cars?
The Tokai toddlers are becoming tiny terrorists.
They don't encounter cars as often as the more urban troops
so when they do, it's play time.
Baboons are intelligent opportunists.
In the wild, they turn over every stone in search of food,
and the same instincts are at work here -
though there's not much to be gained from picking the sealant from a windscreen.
Well, except a laugh, when someone slams the door and the windows fall out.
As usual, the adult baboons are more interested in food than foolery.
And there are plenty of opportunities here, with the cafe, picnics and barbecues.
Every bin is sure to contain rich pickings.
Alex is still working the car park.
He can smell peanut butter or something coming from the boot.
But he's not yet figured out a way in.
Baboons are adaptable and quick to learn.
These country bumpkins seem to have finally worked out what a car handle is for.
It's this ingenuity that has enabled them to survive against all odds.
I'm Bill Bailey and I'm on the Cape Peninsula
looking at the way that baboons are adjusting to a changing environment.
It's easier to be objective about baboons when they're not tearing through your bins,
pooing all over your bed and nicking your bras,
but I've found them to be extraordinary creatures.
They're highly intelligent, socially complex, resourceful, inquisitive
whose only so-called crime of bad behaviour is really through contact with us.
See what I'm doing?
It's easy to see why Darwin picked them to study
as a comparison to human behaviour.
(ALARM BEEPING)
Merlin,
is a prime example of just how devious baboons can be.
His first attempt at breaking into the Black Marlin restaurant has failed.
So he's back doing what he does best -
hanging out on the coast road with the rest of the Smitz troop.
It's business as usual, working the traffic for treats.
But knowing this wily old devil,
I'm sure the restaurant won't have seen the last of him.
But even hardened criminals like these sometimes need to put their feet up.
Fred, the troop's leader, takes the kids away from the lay-by
to some large houses overlooking the sea.
These well-appointed country pads
are perfect for the baboon who just wants to get away from it all.
(Barking)
But they have to get past security.
Some of the smaller baboons quickly shin up a tree -
a pack of dogs is an intimidating sight.
Baboons are a lot smarter than your average dog,
so it's not hard to give 'em the slip.
climb along the steep cliffs,
(BARKING)
In fact, historically, baboons have been domesticated in Africa
and trained to guard livestock.
So they'd be forgiven for having a snooty contempt for man's new best friend.
(BARKING)
The few stragglers look like easier
This mutt has met his match.
This isn't any old baboon - this is Fred, and he couldn't care less.
Male baboons have been known to attack lions in the wild,
so they're not afraid of dogs -
cos Fred has one of his precious babies clinging to his chest.
Local vets are used to stitching up over-enthusiastic canines
and the odd miniature poodle has been known to go missing.
(SCREECHING)
With this pack sent packing,
Fred takes the easy option and uses the main entrance to the house -
straight up the drive.
Other, younger, members are already admiring the view from the roof.
The well-manicured lawns provide plenty of lush food -
quite different from the unhealthy snacks on the busy road below.
These isolated homes are often surprisingly baboon-friendly.
Many of the residents have chosen to live here so they can be close to wildlife.
On the Cape, baboons have been pushed to the last vestiges of wilderness,
often poor-quality habitat where they must use their wits to eke out a living.
But the Smitz troop seems to have stumbled on a little luxury.
There's even a pool.
It's time for the gang to kick back and enjoy the facilities.
Though the primate house guests don't always do their part to keep the relationship sweet.
Jimmy came from a neighbouring clan and has muscled his way in.
But now that he's more settled,
his actions seem to be governed by one great passion - food.
This is what happens when you give them free rein.
The people at this address have a well-nurtured vegetable patch
and it hasn't gone unnoticed.
A chicken-wire cage is not much of a challenge
to the intelligent, food-obsessed primate.
Move!
And before long, Jimmy's nose-deep in a clump of parsley
and that's the cue for the other tea-leafs in the gang.
But the vandals are rumbled.
Hey!
The home-owners do their best to protect their plants.
She's not hitting the baboons, just banging the stick to startle them -
and for self-defence, just in case.
Hey!
That's my potato!
Not any more, it isn't.
It's not an open-door policy.
Jimmy's not budging and he's an intimidating presence.
It appears the baboons don't take threats from human females very seriously.
Men, on the other hand, make them sit up and pay attention -
much like their own society, where the males call the shots.
Even so, it still takes a while to persuade Jimmy and the rest of the gang to leave...
(SCREECHING)
..so the rightful owners can start their replanting programme.
There has to be some give and take,
though the baboons are better at the taking part.
On this peninsula, there is competition for land.
Other gangs of baboons roam the hills, on the lookout for new territory.
Will the Smitz troop be able to keep their paws on their patch?
Next time, the Smitz troop are invaded.
And will Clint be accepted?
Can he read the signs?
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