Photo: Ofir Asif
“They are not welcome here,” the Chief decreed.
His eyes regarded the troop that was his to protect. The land was plentiful, but his soul recalled the stories of Times of Famine, when many had been reduced to skin and bone and many more had died. Legend had it that The Others had brought it on, had taken more than was their share, and angered rain from falling, seeds from growing.
He sensed Bannu’s discontent. Chiefs didn’t have to grant permission for anyone’s opinion. Life showed him, however, that good Chiefs balanced silencing with persuading.
“Bannu?” he grunted.
“What if they return with more of their kind?” The youngster’s sparse ruff bristled apprehension.
The Chief nodded. Foresight was rare. The youth had potential. It also made him someone to watch out for.
“If they challenge us,” the Chief bared teeth and growled an answer and a warning. “We fight.”
Na'ama Yehuda 
Interesting how you place words in the mouths of baboons, which could just as easily come from their human neighbors. You strike a chord of environmental crisis, and at the same time remind us of past human suffering (ie famine.). The Others refer to, I assume, in the baboons’ case, humankind, whereas in the Ethiopian people’s case perhaps the Europeans or in general outsiders appropriating scarce resources. Thought-provoking without being preachy.
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Thank you! I’m so glad all these layers of complexity came through! 🙂
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You’ve brought the photo to life–that certainly seems like what this fellow might be saying.
I agree with what 4963andypop says…It could easily apply in human terms, but is thought provoking when one imagines the story coming from the baboons.
Loved the subtleties of relationship and hierarchies–how the chief views the youth as both having potential and as a rival simultaneously.
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Thank you! I am glad the ambiguity came through … I was hoping it would. And, yes, to the wariness and guarded admiration by the Chief, who may one day all too soon find his position challenged by the same youngster he’d granted importance to himself …
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Wonderful post and image! I am struck by the aggressive stance and face of the baboon! Wow.
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Thank you, Patti! My nephew took this last December in Ethiopia. I hope he used a zoom lens ….
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That is a fantastic photograph! And you’ve used it so well, seeing inside the mind of the baboon, drawing analogies with the way people think and feel. Well done
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Thank you, Lynn! 🙂
The photo was taken by my nephew in Ethiopia last December. Fantastic indeed! (I sure hope he used zoom … 😉 ). Not that different, we are, aren’t we?
Na’ama
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My pleasure, and you’re right, we’re the same in many ways
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🙂 Indeed we are! Happy Weekend to ya!
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