Being groomed by a vervet monkey

Getting groomed by an adult male vervet monkey. I volunteered in Riverside in South Africa during summer 2010. Orphaned, injured and confiscated indigenous SA primates are put through the rehabilitation process here and eventually returned to the wild.
PRIMATES DO NOT MAKE GOOD PETS.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Vervet
• Monkey
• Riverside
• Wildlife
• Centre
• South
• Africa
• Primates
• Rehabilitation

[SensitiveVirmin1234]

what did it feel like lol

[irishkoala]

@SensitiveVirmin1234 It's actually very relaxing, like a little head massage :) Adults are experts at it, so they're very gentle. The younger ones who haven't practised enough can sometimes pull your hair a bit too much though, haha!

[KatiuskaWook]

but... why they do it? what they are looking for?

[irishkoala]

@KatiuskaWook It's a type of behaviour that helps to form bonds between monkeys...so basically they use it to make friends with each other! They also use it as a type of cleaning, to remove parasites like ticks or lice from each other.

[nefari0usD]

I wonder how many lice and ticks he transfered to you while he was eating your dandruff.

[KatiuskaWook]

@irishkoala thank youu :D

[irishkoala]

@fcentaur Hi, I will send you the websites of both centres that I have volunteered at in SA by private mail

[fcentaur]

@irishkoala Thank You! Excuse me, where can I know how to become a volunteer here?

[fcentaur]

@irishkoala Thank You! As I can suppose they are all of macaque branch?

[irishkoala]

@fcentaur There are 3 different species of monkeys that live in SA; chacma baboons, vervet monkeys and samango monkeys :)