Monkey in Kenya Survives After Setting Off Nationwide Blackout - The New York Times

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> http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/09/world/africa/monkey-kenya-survives-blackout-internet-vervet.html?hpw&rref=world&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0 <http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/09/world/africa/monkey-kenya-survives-blackout-internet-vervet.html?hpw&rref=world&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well&_r=0>
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> Monkey in Kenya Survives After Setting Off Nationwide Blackout
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> NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyan consumers have always suspected a little monkey business when it comes to their power bills, but the news making its way around the country on Wednesday was almost too much to believe.
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> A nationwide blackout that knocked out lights, severed internet service and paralyzed countless businesses for more than three hours on Tuesday was caused by a monkey, the electricity company announced.
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> The monkey, which appeared to be of the Vervet species, with a collar of white fur around its neck, climbed onto the roof of the Gitaru Power Station and fell or jumped onto a transformer. The transformer tripped, which in turn tripped other machines at the hydroelectric <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/h/hydroelectric_power/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier&version=meter+at+2&module=meter-Links&pgtype=article&contentId=&mediaId=&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F%3Fversion%3Dmeter%2Bat%2B1%26contentId%3D%26mediaId%3D%26referrer%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fapple.com%252Fspotlight-suggestion%26priority%3Dtrue%26action%3Dclick%26contentCollection%3DDealBook%26region%3DTopBar%26module%3DHomePage-Title%26pgtype%3Darticle&priority=true&action=click&contentCollection=meter-links-click> power station, setting off a nationwide blackout, the Kenya Electricity Generation Company <http://www.kengen.co.ke/?version=meter+at+2&module=meter-Links&pgtype=article&contentId=&mediaId=&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F%3Fversion%3Dmeter%2Bat%2B1%26contentId%3D%26mediaId%3D%26referrer%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fapple.com%252Fspotlight-suggestion%26priority%3Dtrue%26action%3Dclick%26contentCollection%3DDealBook%26region%3DTopBar%26module%3DHomePage-Title%26pgtype%3Darticle&priority=true&action=click&contentCollection=meter-links-click>, or KenGen, said.
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> A monkey that climbed onto the roof of the Gitaru Power Station in Kenya fell or jumped onto a transformer, causing a power outage. The monkey survived and was given to Kenya’s wildlife services. KenGen
> “KenGen power installations are secured by electric fencing which keeps away marauding wild animals,” the company said. “We regret this isolated incident and the company is looking at ways of further enhancing security at all our power plants.”
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> The monkey survived and was given to Kenya <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/kenya/index.html?inline=nyt-geo&version=meter+at+2&module=meter-Links&pgtype=article&contentId=&mediaId=&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F%3Fversion%3Dmeter%2Bat%2B1%26contentId%3D%26mediaId%3D%26referrer%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fapple.com%252Fspotlight-suggestion%26priority%3Dtrue%26action%3Dclick%26contentCollection%3DDealBook%26region%3DTopBar%26module%3DHomePage-Title%26pgtype%3Darticle&priority=true&action=click&contentCollection=meter-links-click>’s wildlife services, KenGen said. The company posted a picture on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/KenGenKenya/posts/700532136716720:0?version=meter+at+2&module=meter-Links&pgtype=article&contentId=&mediaId=&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F%3Fversion%3Dmeter%2Bat%2B1%26contentId%3D%26mediaId%3D%26referrer%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fapple.com%252Fspotlight-suggestion%26priority%3Dtrue%26action%3Dclick%26contentCollection%3DDealBook%26region%3DTopBar%26module%3DHomePage-Title%26pgtype%3Darticle&priority=true&action=click&contentCollection=meter-links-click>, showing the offending animal on the transformer, crouching shyly.
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> Vervet monkeys, which are usually about two feet long not including the tail, can be pesky critters. They are seen everywhere in Kenya, and often travel in packs, scampering along power lines, snacking on mangos in people’s backyards and even sneaking into kitchens through open windows to pinch a banana or two.
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> KenGen, which often provokes the ire of customers who complain about Kenya’s relatively high electricity costs, said late on Tuesday that the outage had been fixed. Some homes in Nairobi were still without power on Wednesday.