Image: Neil Cave/Facebook
Apparently a baboon invasion is now another thing that can go wrong when you rent an Airbnb.Neil Cave of Jambiani, Tanzania woke up on May 8 to find three chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) feasting on sliced bread and salad in his kitchen. The Cave family had left a patio door open to let fresh air into their Airbnb rental and these baboons saw an opportunity. The incriminating video of the baboons is a work of art:The damage from the baboon feast was 850 South African rands, or $66.20 USD. Cave didn't specify whether this was just the cost to replace the food the baboons ate or to clean up the poop they thoughtfully discarded throughout the house."Had to call the cops to get them out," Cave said in a Facebook comment. "Seven of them had an hour long party. House is full of baboon shit and trash. Amazingly only one coffee cup broken."Run-ins with baboons has been a problem in South Africa for years. They've been known to steal groceries, raid cars, and even scale buildings to steal toys. The problem was so bad in Cape Town that the city started a culling program in 2010. Despite these measures, not all contact can be avoided. According to Cave's Facebook comment, the baboons even drank his son's bubble soap the next day."Today my son left his bubble soap outside," Cave said in a Facebook comment. "The baboons drank it. Now they're on the roof burping bubbles… classic."Subscribe to Science Solved It, Motherboard's new show about the greatest mysteries that were solved by science.
Advertisement