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First Lady charms monkeys

27 Apr, 2014 - 00:04 0 Views

The Sunday News

Tinomuda Chakanyuka  Sunday News Reporter
IF you thought monkey charmers were only found in India, well, think again and look closer to home.
Indian monkey charmers are seen as the best in the practice in the world but the most famous woman in Zimbabwe can be ranked among the best that India has to offer.

The art of monkey charming involves monkeys being playful and obedient to their master by mimicking the masters’ actions towards them.

Enter Amai Grace Mugabe. The First Lady could just be the closest Zimbabwe has to the famed Rajasthan monkey charmers found in the northern parts of India.

Amai Mugabe on Friday took to the 55th edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) where she charmed two monkeys at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management stand much to the delight of the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate, Cde Saviour Kasukuwere and the Minister of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Cde Oppah Muchinguri, who were part of her tour of stands.

Amai Mugabe is known as a mother figure, famed for her philanthropy, a soft heart for the less privileged, her love for the game of tennis, and her strong sense of fashion, among other attributes. But her affinity for animals, monkeys in particular, had never been so apparent, until Friday afternoon.

When she visited the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management stand, as she had done several other stands at the fair that afternoon, she couldn’t help but notice the two monkeys that were perched on branches of a makeshift tree that was placed in a cage.

Her attention was quickly captured by the animals, and she made an abrupt stop at the monkeys’ cage.

Her entourage followed suit, with some among her touring party wondering why the First Lady had paid such particular attention to the monkeys, when there were more enthralling animals such as a lion and python on display at the stand.

The two apes appeared so relaxed and unperturbed by the presence of a huge entourage that was following Amai Mugabe.

But when the First Lady, wearing her usual warm motherly smile, waved towards the two primates, they passionately returned the gesture, trying their monkey best to smile back but grinning in the process, much to the amazement of everyone who was party to the First Lady’s tour.

The two monkeys might have also charmed Amai Mugabe in return as she, after noticing that the animals had waved and “smiled’’ back at her, showed apparent excitement at the rare chemistry she had created with the animals.

As Amai Mugabe excitedly turned to Cde Kasukuwere and Cde Muchinguri, gesticulating with her hands to draw their attention to the rare monkey charming feat she had just performed, the monkeys would not be left out, as they too, again mimicked the First Lady’s hand gestures.

“We used to have one at our Borrowdale home. It was such a sweet animal,” remarked Amai Mugabe in a quite excited tone.

And the two monkeys too, obviously short of the ability to speak, did their best to mimic what Amai Mugabe was saying, and made loud squeaks.

Monkeys use sounds to communicate and squeak when they are excited.
Amazed by the First Lady’s monkey charming skills, Cde Kasukuwere went on to offer Amai Mugabe a pet monkey, which he said would be delivered to her this week.

“Amai if you want we may give you one of the monkeys. I will make arrangements with Parks so that you could have it delivered to you next week,” said Cde Kasukuwere.

As the First Lady was exiting the Parks and Wildlife stand, the monkeys sprung from their makeshift tree and clutched onto the fence on their cage, making loud squeaks, which could make for a call to their newly found friend to stay a little longer.

The First Lady also visited various stands at the ZITF which included the Grain Marketing Board, Cairns Foods Limited, Datlabs, Egyptian Tourist Authority, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and the Botswana Investment Trade Centre stands.

She also visited the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Zimbabwe Republic Police, Kuyedza and Alpha Omega Dairy stands.

Alpha Omega Dairy is owned by the First Family.

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