'I'm not whole now' | Carol Booth's emotional tribute to her partner, Steve Smit
After the death of beloved “Monkey Man” Steve Smit, his partner and Monkey Helpline co-founder Carol Booth has shared an emotional tribute to the man she spent 20 years working alongside.
Carol Booth, partner and co-founder of the Monkey Helpline, is grappling with the loss of her "other half," Steve Smit, who died from cancer. For two decades, she and Smit collaborated to rescue and protect vervet monkeys and other animals in KwaZulu-Natal. Smit, known as the "Monkey Man," founded Monkey Helpline and became a familiar figure among animal lovers, responding to calls for help from distressed animals at all hours.
Booth described the emotional pain of facing her first days without him, stating, "One day without my other half, literally, my other half, I'm not whole now." Smit's legacy lives on through the work of Monkey Helpline, which continues to rescue and protect animals, as well as through the memories and tributes pouring in following his death.
Booth promises to carry his dream forward, finding him in the world he dedicated his life to protecting.
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