Wine region under attack by Baboons

[Auggie]

AP / 03-24-10

JOHANNESBURG — Baboons, it seems, prefer pinot noir. They also like a nice chardonnay.

Largely undeterred by electric fences, hundreds of wild baboons in South Africa's prized wine country are finding the vineyards of ripe, succulent grapes to be an "absolute bonanza," said Justin O'Riain of the University of Cape Town.

SNIP

"They choose the nicest bunches, and you will see the ones they leave on the ground. If you taste them, they are sour," said Francois van Vuuren, farm manager at La Terra de Luc vineyards, 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Cape Town. "They eat the sweetest ones and leave the rest."

SNIP

Sometimes the baboons even get an alcohol kick — by feasting on discarded grape skins that have fermented in the sun. After gobbling up the skins, the animals stumble around before sleeping it off in a shady spot.

STORY: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jXYqUdiWsa8Dp677bBWzgHJdVNqAD9EKGN7G0

[hobbit709]

1. Damn, I thought this was about teabaggers.

[HopeHoops]

4. Same here.

[Windy]

2. I'm going to that exact area in May to visit my son who is volunteering in Cape Town

could be interesting!

[Lost4words]

3. I thought this was thread was about Washington DC!

my bad...