Text and photos by HENRY DOELLINGER
“Homocidal maniacs.” The description of monkeys from the University of Montana’s travel nurse rang through my head as our group sat on board the NTNC’s bus headed for Swayambhunath, the iconic Buddhist temple, also known for its food-conditioned rhesus macaques.
I couldn’t picture what this excursion would entail, and, equipped with only a 35mm lens, I wasn’t sure what photographs I would be able to make. My first impression of the UNESCO World Heritage Site was the crowds. It was packed, and full of more tourists than I had seen in any of our previous days in Kathmandu.
The macaques skirted through the crowd more efficiently than the people, and we tried to give them distance. The 360-degree dodging act reminded me of walking through a haunted house as a kid, less scary, but you constantly tried to avoid props hanging from the walls.
Not long into our exploration I grew more comfortable with the monkeys, and decided to get closer to photograph them as they sat against the backdrop of the city. The first one I held my camera to paused for a second and then rushed towards me. I quickly pulled back as two men laughed to my side. I was a bit more cautious after that.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of the animals for me was their willingness to consume every aspect of litter. I watched as two licked the remainder of an Extreme Energy Drink, and then proceeded to bite off chunks of the aluminum can before scampering away. You could tell they were the locals, well conditioned to the flow of traffic and occasional hand feeding.
Wonderful monkey photos with interesting observations of their behavior!