A stay at South Africa's Aquila Private Game Reserve offers guests the chance to spot some remarkable wildlife. But for one pair of visitors, the most memorable animal encounter happened when they weren't paying attention at all.
This week, footage emerged showing a man and woman lounging in the sun near the safari lodge's swimming pool. The pair can be seen looking at their phones, having no idea what’s about to happen.
Seizing upon the opportunity, a local baboon then sneaks up from behind, casually helping himself to their tray of snacks. The man and woman, meanwhile, appear totally oblivious until moments before a quick-thinking reserve employee finally intervenes:
As highly intelligent and adaptable primates, baboons are known to make the
most of the world around them. And in the case of distracted guests, that landed him some free food.
What he left behind, however, was an incredible memory.
“While Aquila has a strict no-wildlife-interaction policy, the animals don’t always read the rulebook,” a spokesperson for the reserve told The Dodo. “Encounters like this are unusual, but it serves as a humorous reminder that we share the reserve with free-roaming wildlife. We always encourage guests to remain aware of their surroundings and never feed or approach animals.”
