Boris the baboon

"Amongst our new neighbours is a loitering male baboon with attitude and overdeveloped testicles."

I moved flat recently. A retired wife's demand for a larger kitchen and no longer needing Central's proximity opened many options. Thus, we began the dreary tour around 15 properties before we settled on a hillside development above Tolo Harbour and the Science Park in the New Territories. 

Despite our move to a new location, we are still well-connected to the city. Even without a car, we can reach Admiralty Station by the East Rail in under 25 minutes. Buses run every 15 minutes, and our estate bus takes us to Tai Po within 10 minutes. 

The airport is now a 25-minute drive away, and Shatin has an abundance of shopping malls that offer everything Central has. Plus, we have an excellent old-style wet market nearby, adding to the convenience of our new home. 

Still, there are a few things to consider. Amongst our new neighbours is a loitering male baboon with attitude and overdeveloped testicles. He proudly hangs his gear out on the railing near the clubhouse. Keep your distance, and he's unperturbed. Get too close, he bears his teeth, leaning forward to lock eyes. 

Maids guiding kids into the clubhouse take the opposite pavement. Occasionally, a guard chases Boris the Baboon away. But he's back with his family jewels proudly displayed in no time. Boris lacks an evident troop to follow or lead, like a simian derivative of his namesake—a delinquent at a loose end.

It's essential to be cautious around wild monkeys. Last year, the Agriculture, Fisheries, and Conservation Department reminded the public to avoid direct eye contact, which can trigger aggression. This warning is necessary, as Hong Kong experienced its first monkey-to-human transmission of herpesvirus simiae or the B virus. 

A 37-year-old man was attacked by wild monkeys and contracted the virus. For a while, his condition was critical. The United States, China, and Japan have all reported cases in the past, with only around 50 instances recorded worldwide since 1932. 

These days, wild monkeys are predominantly found in the Kam Shan Country Park, which has earned the name "Monkey Mountain." They are common in Lion Rock, Shing Mun Country Park, and Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve. I've also seen them as far east as Sai Kung and in the urban areas of Shatin and Kowloon. 

There are records of monkeys living in the Tai Tam Valley on Hong Kong Island and on the Peak as far back as 1819. This is no longer the case. 

As the district commander in Tsuen Wan, I received reports of monkeys entering domestic premises searching for food. These intrusions prompted long discussions at the district council. It was necessary to make clear to the council that the law did not allow the arrest and charging of monkeys for burglary. I did enjoy those sessions. 

It may surprise you that the presence of monkeys in Kam Shan Country Park is unnatural. Indeed, the park is man-made and designed to protect the reservoir that serves the city. These days, about 80% of the trees are native species, although this is a relatively recent phenomenon. In earlier times, many trees were imported for slope stabilisation. 

Indeed, the current dominant monkey species is not indigenous to Hong Kong. These monkeys are descendants of imported pets released in the 1910s.

In 1910, after the completion of the Kowloon Reservoir, the colonial government discovered that a poisonous plant known as strychnos grew on the hillsides next to the reservoir. The plant's fruit contains alkaloids that are lethal when ingested by humans. Yet, monkeys can eat the fruit. 

The authorities feared the reservoir's drinking water would be contaminated. Hence, they released monkeys into the area, hoping that they would eat the fruit and remove the threat. 

The macaques, released to control a poisonous plant near the Kowloon Reservoir in 1910, thrived on the fruit diet, leading to a population explosion. Over the years, other species of macaques arrived, including those brought in by sailors as pets. This history has shaped the current population, a mix of rhesus macaques, long-tailed macaques, and hybrids.

Hence, the current cohort is a mix of rhesus macaques, long-tailed macaques, and hybrids. 

As the monkey population grew and their activities proved a nuisance, the AFCD introduced a contraception programme in 2007. This initiative reduced the population to around 1,800 monkeys, organised into 30 troops.

Accustomed to receiving food from humans, the monkeys have become reliant on handouts and lost their ability to find food independently. This unnatural dependency has led to aggression.

Boris is a product of that history. I wonder if he knows.