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Baboon Matters Report – December 2022

As 2022 draws to a close, I would like thank everyone for their ongoing support and for creating such a high level of awareness and empathy for the plight of baboons across South Africa.

In April 2022 the City of Cape Town unexpectedly withdrew rangers from the CT2 troop, leaving the troop to roam the leafy suburbs and cross extremely busy roads daily.  In response to the fact that 4 members of the troop had been killed (one disappeared) we decided to try to encourage the troop to stay in the natural area of Cecelia Forest. 

I am very pleased to report that our emergency interim project is showing that it is possible to successfully work with baboons without use of pain aversion tools such as paintball markers or bear bangers. Our small team is managing to keep the CT2 troop of baboons out of houses, off busy roads and in the thickly vegetated Cecelia Forest or in the conservation area of De Hel.

The project is an interim one as we await the outcomes of recent meetings between the three relevant authorities (CoCT, Cape Nature and Table Mountain National Park) as they redefine their roles and responsibilities and agree on a draft strategic management plan for management of the baboon human interface. Our hope is that the responsible authorities will assume continued management for the small troop in the new year.

We anticipate 2023 kicking off to a busy start as we will provide input to the draft SMP and ensure that future management plans are holistic, ensure efficient waste management systems, by-laws, education programs and well trained, duly compensated rangers in addition to strategic baboon proof electric fences.

We are collaborating with colleagues from a wide variety of villages, nature estates and farms across South Africa and note that there is a great deal of concern regarding the true population numbers of baboons nationally, with much anecdotal evidence to suggest that there may be far fewer baboons than anticipated by the conservation agencies.  We hope that this, and other issues, will be addressed quickly and comprehensively so that baboons are no longer considered to be a “species of least concern” but are given protection from hunting and better management practises are enforced so that humans do become better neighbours to wildlife. 

We appreciate your ongoing interest in our projects and thank you for your continued support in 2023.

Please watch attached video link using the HD selection.

Links:

• https://fb.watch/htmioMiYmc/