Carol Booth pays tribute to partner Steve Smit: ‘I’m not whole now’

According to IOL, Carol Booth is mourning the loss of her partner and Monkey Helpline co‑founder, Steve Smit, after two decades of working together rescuing animals across KwaZulu‑Natal.

An emotional loss after decades of rescue work

According to IOL, Booth and Smit spent 20 years responding to calls about injured and distressed animals, working together day and night to rescue and protect vervet monkeys and other wildlife.

According to IOL, Booth described the immediate pain of life without him:

“One day without my other half, literally, my other half, I’m not whole now.”

Continuing rescues and daily routines changed

According to IOL, Booth said rescues have continued after Smit’s death, and she recounted recent cases including an adult female monkey, a tiny bird that fell in freezing weather, a baby chicken dropped by a predator, and an old rooster that had been beaten and injured.

According to IOL, Booth described how ordinary routines now feel empty: “I go to make him coffee, lunch, find his glasses, his phone, but I can’t find him.”

Legacy at Vervet Valley and a pledge to carry on

According to IOL, Booth called Vervet Valley “his memorial garden” and said it represents Smit’s legacy. She expressed that the place does not feel right without him and that she finds only memories there.

According to IOL, Booth pledged to continue their shared work:

“We will plant your forest, I will continue your passion, your dream. You’re with me all the way now, I just can’t see you…”

Remembering the ‘Monkey Man’

According to IOL, Steve Smit was affectionately known as the “Monkey Man” for his decades of rescuing and protecting vervet monkeys and other animals across KwaZulu‑Natal. According to IOL, Smit founded Monkey Helpline, with Booth as his co‑founder.

According to IOL, Smit died on Wednesday, following a battle with cancer.

Gratitude and where he will be found

According to IOL, Booth thanked friends, family, volunteers and Hospice staff for their support during Smit’s final days and offered a personal thanks to Smit himself for trusting her to care for him.

According to IOL, Booth closed with a refusal of final goodbyes and an image of Smit remaining present in the natural world:

“No goodbyes from me, I will miss your physical presence but you’re everywhere now. You’re in the falling leaves, the birds twittering in the trees, the rain that falls, the sun that warms, you’re never gone, just missed.”