16/05/2025
Jack the railway baboon:
A baboon named Jack officially worked for South African railways (1881-1890) as a signalman and was paid twenty cents a day and half a beer weekly. Jack never made a single mistake in his entire Railway career. Jack was a Chacma baboon who assisted a paraplegic railway signalman named James Wide, also known as "Jumper" Wide, after losing his legs in a railway accident. James Wide trained Jack to help him with his daily tasks. Over time, Jack learned to operate railway signals under supervision, requiring careful attention and precision. Jack the Baboon became famous for his reliability and accuracy in railway signal operation. He never made a mistake in the nine years he worked for the railway. Jack passed away in 1890, and his skull is preserved at the Albany Museum in Grahamstown, South Africa, as a reminder of his unique contributions to the railway industry.
