Monkey Hill in the London Zoo, home of 40 Abyssinian baboons, had to be closed to the public last week. The monkeyshines there had become no laughing matter. George, a young member of the baboon colony, had stolen a female belonging to the "king," the oldest, largest baboon of Monkey Hill. Taking her into an inaccessible place, he had piled up a barricade of sticks and stones. The king, who still had another mate left, squatted nearby, uninterested, curiously watched the indignation of other colony members.
Mobbing together, they attacked the bad baboon's barricade. After two days of siege, George and the female grew hungry, tried to get out. The monkey mob mauled them, chased them back. Then in the shadow of his hiding place, George killed his stolen female, ignominiously. Monkey moralists were satisfied. The wife-stealer was allowed to come out unharmed. The king, still uninterested, sat by, blinked, ate a peanut.