“Self-absorption in all its forms kills empathy, let alone compassion. When we focus on ourselves, our world contracts as our problems and preoccupations loom large. But when we focus on others, our world expands. Our own problems drift to the periphery of the mind and so seem smaller, and we increase our capacity for connection – or compassionate action.” –  Daniel Goleman.

Today I would like to discuss the Papio ursinus. An animal so conniving and brutal that they manage to live up to 40 years in the wild. They are everything that we would regard as: the wrong side of the track – clan. Vulgar, loud, messy, inconsiderate, unhygienic and scavenging. They will destroy their enemies’ babies with their bare hands and afterwards happily pick fleas off each other. African Wildlife Foundation calls them: opportunistic eaters. They will eat anything and everything.

For a better understanding, I’m referring to the Chakma Baboon. At work we fondly refer to them as – those stupid monkeys.

For the purpose of today’s blog – I will mention that I am well aware that humans have inhabited the wild and that animals adapt to their surroundings. I will also mention that the Chakma Baboons’ natural enemy, is in fact humans. I will not linger on that for too long. If you are not familiar with, and have never been affected by the baboon’s habits and nature – this piece probably isn’t for you. For everyone else that has experienced the baboon as a visitor and was not welcoming to their gifts left behind – come share in my candle.

At more or less 05:15 every morning, I ascend on my 1.3km walk to site. I descend at approximately 15:05 – if all goes well. Not a day has passed that I have not encountered an animal on my walk-aboutings. Different types of antelope, mongoose, warthogs, snakes, blue monkeys and of course – “Ou Kees”. I will never take this blessing for granted, but believe me when I tell you – you have a reverential fear for those animals, because even if you move between them daily – it’s still a wild animal. We are in their world and they are in ours.

A couple of years ago, quite early in the morning – a loud bang was heard as the power for the entire site tripped. We knew that there was a culprit – but the culprit was yet to be found. He was discovered later that day – a sorry sight to be seen. Hunched over away from the substation, slightly in hiding. A medium sized baboon was sitting on his bum – head bowed. Strips of burn across his arms and legs. He was alive, even hours after the incident – but barely. The furry animal looked so sad, so broken, so confused and defeated – so utterly human. A couple of hours ago he was having the time of his life on a man-made play-set. He did not know for a second that the new playground was an 11kV sub. That he stood no chance.

I moved closer – yet not too close – to throw some of my strawberries at him. His tribe abandoned him and he seemed hungry. I didn’t get it close enough, so he had to struggle on his wrecked arms to get it, though I thought I saw gratefulness in his pinched face. His eyes and face broke me a little bit that day, as he nibbled on the fruit held gently in his fingers. I cried a long time for that baboon, because it was in his face – his eyes.

It’s always in the face of humans as well. Those split-second true emotions you can see on someone’s face before they put their mask back on. Pure joy when someone is about to talk about their passion. The quick guilty glance downwards, when someone is hiding something. A flash of insecurity, before they mask it with confrontation. The sadness of someone a little lost, before they turn their head away. The instant reaction of relief, after a prolonged silence has been broken. There is always just a glimpse of the micro-expressions into someone’s true feelings that they can’t hide. If you don’t pay attention or listen – you will miss it, because the masks come back so quickly.

Sometimes when we are a little bit too focused on our own wants, our “me”, that we miss the short moments of honesty that people share, when they are trying really hard not to. And when we miss those moments – we start losing our empathy. I can so often focus on how certain things in life affect me, that it can easily make me hard. In Afrikaans there is a beautiful word that doesn’t fully translate well into English – ongenaakbaar. Compassionless – is a space I don’t ever want to dwell in.

I would never use a baboon as a role model, but I hope to never become so arrogant and prideful that I stop learning from nature.

Tomorrow – I will chase them out of my office again. We will give our yelps of fright, when confronted in its fight for the dustbin. I will turn away in disgust, because mating season has no privacy. I will not attempt to throw a rock at them, because it’s a safety hazard that might injure innocent bystanders. Tomorrow, it will be a stupid monkey.

Yet, every now and again I will remember that raw emotion in his face. A reminder to never fixate on myself to such an extent, that I miss the vulnerability in others.

Happy monkeying around, friends!