Every now and then if you are the house you might see our family of white faced monkeys fly through the trees. Sometimes the alpha male comes up to the house to check things out before signaling to the rest of the crew. He looks cute and he’s very smart, but, as with all wild animals, keep in mind that it is best to keep a healthy distance and please don’t attempt to feed him. There’s plenty of food in the surrounding gardens in our community for them to choose from, and feeding them might bring about expectations you wish you hadn’t set. He has been known to bang on doors and windows, and in not such a subtle way,  to let you know he is there. He has been known to try to get the attention of someone in the house by throwing something at the door, like a chair. That chair has since been removed. He looks small and cute, but don’t be fooled – he is quite strong.

The slope beneath our home has a forested canopy that makes it’s way down to the river below, so as the monkeys make their way up the hill searching for more food, the have been settling in at our house on occasion much to the pleasant surprise of us all. We noticed that they came by one morning after our gardener, Jaime, had harvested some bananas for us. It was also the time that our Jacote tree was back in season. It is a small scrawny tree near the laundry room but it gives the monkeys the tart fruit they love. These pics come from some of our renters, Deb K and Stephanie. Thanks ladies!

Take pictures and enjoy watching them, but be sure not to leave valuables out on the table at night – too much of a temptation for this guy. It may not seem like an obvious scenario, but better safe than sorry. Did I mention how smart he is?