Initially, they were fearful upon encountering the Lion King. But before they could make a beeline for safety, he assured them he wasn’t hunting today. Instead, he was trying to solve the hunting problem posed by humans.

Mister Fish Friar, the elder of the two, replied, “We monkeys are also concerned due to man’s newfound taste for exotic meats, including monkey and gorilla meat. They are decimating our tribes, and we would like to help.” As if this were a well-rehearsed meeting, Mister Chip Monk excitedly exclaimed, “I have an idea!”

Unable to contain his enthusiasm, Leo roared, “Pray, do tell, and do not monkey around! I have no time for monkey business.”

“No, O Great King!” both cried out. “We just heard a message preached this morning about the Golden Monkey Rule: ‘See no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil.’ However, my Lord, I need to meet with our whole tribe to get their buy-in for the proposal. You, as our Leader Supreme, can attend the meeting. We suggest that perhaps a small group representing all the animals should be present as well. This concerns us all.”

On that note, they departed to make arrangements for what would become known as The First Royal Loyal Convention of The African Animal Kingdom. The meeting was scheduled for the next Full Moon, in six days, at the king’s hunting ground. No hunting would take place that day. Word spread far and wide, primarily through the female species. The common idea was that “Tell-a-woman” was a faster means of communication than even smoke signals or carrier pigeons.

It was truly a motley crew of animals that attended. First to arrive were two laughing hyenas. King Leo warned them that if they didn’t stop their laughter, they might end up as tonight’s dinner. A couple of cheetahs, who often cheated death when chased by lions, leopards, and hyenas due to their speed, strangely enough, marched in accompanied by leopards, normally their mortal enemies.

The Vervet Monkey group arrived en masse. They included Chip Monk, Fish Friar, Junkie Monkey, Funky Monkey, Smelly Monkey (so named because he hated bathing), and a barrel of other monkeys. They opted to sit in the tree branches, which was not only comfortable for them but also gave them a bird’s-eye view of the proceedings.

Next to make their way into the meeting were Joey and Daisy Elaphas, the elephants. They attended to represent the elephant herd. They were requested to make their way to the back for seating, as sitting in the front row would block the view of a large part of the audience. A group of rowdy gorillas made their way into the meeting area and almost ended up in a fight with the leopard contingent because of an insult hurled at them. One of the leopards, Jovial Jack, had commented on their behaviour, remarking, “Even if you put a fur coat on an animal, he still remains an ape”—a clear reference to their hairy bodies.

Before it could escalate into a skirmish, the Lion King let out an enormous roar of dissatisfaction. “Please, my honourable subjects, calm down, settle down, and remember the reason we have gathered here!” Calmness was restored, though a few angry grunts were still uttered. The rest of the animal representatives arrived and managed to find “seating” space in the now-crowded gathering.

King Leo rose from his spot and, in a roaring voice so that all present could hear, spoke out. “Friends, foes, and jungle inhabitants, thank you for taking time out from your usual activities to attend this important occasion. I think, no, I know, what we are going to discuss is of great importance to us all. Man is hunting us into extinction, and we cannot just stand by and allow it. We need a solution, and we need it quickly. In my chat with Mister Chip Monk and Mister Fish Friar, they informed me that they had an idea. Could you gentlemen come down from that tree and share with all of us animals?”

Jumping out of his tree perch, Mister Chip Monk strode to the center and began speaking in a slightly hesitant voice. But before his first sentence was out, a chorus of voices requested that he speak louder. He filled his lungs with air and this time exclaimed, “Man is only superior to us because they have those fire sticks that they hunt with. They can kill us from a distance and from hiding places, giving us no opportunity to defend ourselves or to escape. Many of us gathered here have lost family members, loved ones, friends, and even enemies through their ruthless, contemptuous, and mindless killings. One of our own, Funky Monkey, so named because of his odd behaviour at times, was previously stolen as a babe and raised by a British couple, Colin and Ruth James, from Kinshasa, as a household pet. Colin was a well-known hunter, having bagged a couple of lions. One fierce-looking lion head was mounted on the wall in his trophy room. He, Funky Monkey, escaped recently, and we welcomed him into our group. He could easily get back into captivity and, with the jungle knowledge he has now gained, gain the trust of his captors and learn about their hunting habits. They say, ‘knowledge is power.’ Armed with the knowledge he will bring back to us, we can strategize to negate the hunters, thus giving us a chance to continue living by the law of the jungle. He has agreed to this if we, as the jungle kingdom, are in full agreement.” Discussions took place among the animals present, weighing the pros and cons of such a proposal.

King Leo, with a loud roar, brought the meeting to order. He summed up the proposal, stating, “The proposal is to send Funky Monkey back as our spy. I like it, seeing that he is an inquisitive and intelligent monkey, ideal for such an enterprise. Time to vote, animals. Do we or don’t we agree, or are there any other suggestions?” All the animals looked around, and seeing no further ideas forthcoming, exclaimed unanimously, “Let him be about his Funky Monkey Business!”