By Kai Mansa-Musa
FREETOWN – In an unexpected twist of jungle law meeting city life, the bustling Wilkinson Road-Aberdeen intersection turned into an impromptu primate parade yesterday, as two monkeys – perched comfortably on the shoulders of their handlers – seized the spotlight. Traffic came to a standstill, but not for the usual gridlock reasons. No, this was thanks to an unscheduled performance by Freetown’s latest celebrities: the banana-loving monkeys, out for their afternoon stroll.
Amid the laughter and chaos, Sierra Leone Police officers and a Traffic Warden, ever vigilant in maintaining law and order, took a break from ticketing and waving down vehicles to instead wave down… bananas. Yes, you read that right – uniformed law enforcers were caught in the act of feeding these furry freeloaders, all while the primates struck poses on the shoulders of their handlers like seasoned Instagram influencers.
Not to be outdone by the authorities, the crowd that gathered – including curious pedestrians, motorbike pillions, and passengers in everything from minibuses to luxury sedans – eagerly joined in the monkey-feeding frenzy. Food vendors threw in their own offerings, apparently determined to expand the primates’ culinary horizons beyond basic bananas, much to the crowd’s amusement.
“I’ve seen traffic jams, but this is bananas!” one exasperated driver exclaimed, as he watched his once-urgent commute descend into a full-blown street party.
Meanwhile, traffic, as one might expect, was at a complete standstill. But nobody seemed to mind. Who needs to get to work when there are monkeys to be fed, police to cheer on, and Instagram stories to update?
As the merry group sauntered off down Aberdeen Road, one can only hope the monkeys left room for dessert – because Freetown is always ready with an extra helping of roadside chaos.