“Steve Was Quite Literally Tarzan”: Beth Neale Pays Tribute to Monkey Helpline’s Founder Steve Smit

• Steve Smit, the founder of Monkey Helpline, known as the 'Monkey Man', passed away after a lifetime dedicated to protecting vervet monkeys in South Africa
• Filmmaker Beth Neale shared a heartfelt tribute after spending six months filming Steve and his partner Carol Booth for the Earth Touch series Monkey Wars
• Steve's death has left the animal welfare community in mourning, with many calling him a true warrior who gave up everything for the animals he loved

Steve Smit, the South African conservationist known as the "Monkey Man" behind Monkey Helpline, has died. He spent decades fighting for the welfare of vervet monkeys, giving up his former life entirely to dedicate himself to their rescue and rehabilitation alongside his partner, Carol Booth.

The news of his passing was shared on 13 August 2026 by filmmaker Beth Neale, who worked closely with Steve and Carol roughly 12 years ago while producing the Earth Touch documentary series 'Monkey Wars'.

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According to ecr.co.za, Smit died following a battle with cancer, at the age of 70. In her tribute, Neale recalled watching Steve scale buildings, climb trees and handle injured adult male monkeys, all to get them the care they needed. She wrote, describing the man she filmed and came to know:

"Steve was quite literally Tarzan."

In the video that accompanied her tribute, Steve's own words speak to how completely he gave himself to the cause. He pushed back firmly against the idea that people were under siege from monkeys, arguing the opposite was true. He said:

"It's not us who are under siege, it's the monkeys who are under siege, I've given up everything I had to be able to do what I'm doing for monkeys now."

A life devoted to fighting for vervets

Steve acknowledged that none of his work would have been possible without Carol, and the two were described by Neale as people who welcomed the film crew not just into their workspace but into their home and their hearts. He said in the footage:

"We are absolutely and totally committed to fighting this fight for the monkeys. They need us. Without us, they're not going to survive. We will fight for them till our very last breath."

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Neale noted that the *Monkey Wars* series remains available online, but said the loss of Steve goes far beyond what any camera ever captured.

View the Facebook post below:

Animal welfare community mourns Steve Smit

Those who knew Steve or followed his work shared their grief across the page:

Carol Booth said:

"On behalf of Steve and me, thank you!"

Debi Blake wrote:

"An extraordinary human being... he's left a huge void... We all need to up our game, defend the vervets, and try and make their world a better, safer place."

Kira Ivanoff said:

"What an incredible human being."

Paul Mostert shared:

"Steve, RIP, will not forget the time you asked for help."

Marisol Gutierrez said:

"We will miss him always. A true warrior for animals and a beautiful human being."

More Briefly News stories on tributes

• Grantleigh Schools is mourning the death of Grade 11 learner Cebolenkosi Mlambo, who is being remembered by his school community for his kindness and warmth.
• Laerskool Rachel de Beer is mourning the passing of Grade 7 learner Lethu Ngomane, with tributes pouring in from the school community.
• Rasta the Artist paid tribute to late COPE leader Mosiuoa Lekota by painting his portrait during his funeral in Bloemfontein, drawing mixed reactions from South Africans.

Source: Briefly News