Since Ruby and Tilly refuse to make friends with Butch, Cassidy & Sundance, the three young male macaques, in order to find space for Ella and Evie, we need a new pen which is going to cost some 40,000 rupees! As visitors to the tree house will know, flat space is at a premium in our sharply sloped garden, and we are now using one of the last possible spots, by the house, to construct it. Ruby is our most troubled monkey (see profiles) who lived alone until we managed to get her to make friends with Tilly, a younger female. Our hope had been that with Tilly to give her confidence she would accept the three young males in her territory, but it proved impossible, with big fights and even stitches needed. Once Ruby and Tilly can be moved, Evie and Ella will be able to spend some time in the pen next to Puck, Phooka and Shaylee, the three Langur babies from last year and gradually integrate with them. Ella is already spending some time with them and gets on well though she is only half their size.
The baby palm squirrels have moved out with mum but she has also taught them to drink the sugar water from the Sunbird feeders I have up. Most of the sugar water is wasted as they tip it up climbing on it, and the poor Sunbirds, who rely in this easy energy source are now always waiting around for us to re-fill them. Once replaced they crowd in for a drink before the squirrels re-appear!
Sunbirds on the bird feeder
