The Baboon-Grape Dilemma

Having just finished a column on South African wine (to appear in our June issue), I was disheartened that this bit of breaking news didn't get to me before I filed the story. Baboons, it seems, are becoming a scourge in some of South Africa's wine regions, descending on vineyards and gobbling ripe Pinot and whatnot by the ton (literally). I especially love the strategies South African vintners are using to deter them: blowing horns called 'vuvuzelas,' typically used by soccer fans, and trying to scare them off with rubber snakes. I suggest the vineyard owners read this long-ago essay of mine about being attacked by a wild turkey for inspiration on how to best nature at its own game.