Monkeying around... with dogs: Playful three are best friends

It was a moment of horror for wildlife photographers Vicki and Adam Scott Kennedy as they witnessed a rare De Brazza's monkey being 'attacked' by two Jack Russell terriers in Kenya.
But that horror soon turned to joy as they realised that, in fact, the animals were only playing and the couple were witnessing a unique spectacle.
For no sooner had the two dogs released the monkey from their grip, than the monkey turned the tables and chased them around the gardens of Barnley's Guesthouse near Kitale in northwest Kenya.

Rare sighting: An endangered De Brazza's monkey plays with one of the two Jack Russell Terriers at Barnley's Guesthouse in Kitale, Kenya

Surprise: The Kennedys had heard that a lone De Brazza's Monkey, an endangered species in Kenya, had been seen occasionally in and around the gardens of the guesthouse

A tennis ball seemed to be the hub of the commotion and the monkey was seen stealing it from the dogs and running away with it.
The dogs, Nippy and Bully, gave chase and when they got close, the monkey spun around and held its ground before jumping all over the terriers and playing with them, often tumbling over with a dog firmly in its grip.
This continued for 20 minutes before another Jack Russell arrived on the scene that the monkey was clearly not comfortable with.

 

Fast friends: An endangered De Brazza's monkey plays with two Jack Russell terriers as they chase their tails

Rough and tumble: Wildlife photographers Vicki and Adam Scott Kennedy initially thought they were witnessing an attack

It jumped up into some trees and didn't come down again until its playmates were alone once more.
During their photographic expedition to the remote northwest of the country, the Kennedys had heard that a lone De Brazza's Monkey, an endangered species in Kenya, had been seen occasionally in and around the gardens of the guesthouse, run by Jane Barnley and her son Richard.
'We were hoping that the monkey would put in an appearance during our stay but wildlife is inherently unpredictable so we didn't bank on it,' said Adam, 38, who manages Naibor Camp 250 miles from Kitale in the Masai Mara Game Reserve with his wife Vicki, 34.

Incoming: The Kennedys soon realised the animals were only playing and they were witnessing a unique spectacle

Crash landing: The Kennedys were making a trip from their home in the dry plains of the Masai Mara in Southern Kenya

'We had seen several De Brazza's at nearby Saiwa Swamp National Park the previous day but they are very wary of people and did not allow a close approach for photography.
'So we were very excited when the monkey entered the gardens on the last day of our visit.'
Vicki added: 'It was simply incredible to see this wild animal interacting so positively with the domestic dogs.'

Chase: The two house Jack Russells, Nippy and Bully, chased the monkey when they got close

Truce: The playmates take a break from their game

'Somehow, they had developed an intimate bond and were having such fun. We can only guess that the monkey had been rejected by her troop in the nearby forest and has now found a rather unlikely companionship with the two Jack Russells.
'It was an unforgettable experience.'
De Brazza's monkey are mainly found in western equatorial Africa, and are rare in east Africa.

Top dog: The monkey spun around and held its ground, and gave as good as it got

Close pals: The two Jack Russells land the monkey live at Barnley's Guesthouse in Kitale, Kenya, in the cool western highlands

It ranges across the swamps, bamboo and dry mountain forests of Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Sudan, Uganda, and the Cherangani Hills of Kenya.
The Cherangani Hills, in Kenya's western highlands of Kenya, on the border with Tanzania, are one of Kenya's five main forests. The rare De Brazza's Monkey are confined to small areas in the hills.
They are named after Pierre Paul François Camille Savorgnan de Brazza, a Franco-Italian explorer, whose adventures up the Congo river led to the French colonisation of Central Africa.
Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo, was also named after him.

Off again: The De Brazza's monkey plays with the two Jack Russell Terriers as they start their chase game again