The Remaining Baboons of the Cape Peninsula

CapeChacmaBaboons

A portrait of the Cape Chacma baboons

Now more endangered than ever

Since August 2009, Cape Town's already endangered approximately 400 Chacma baboons have come under even more danger.

A new protocol under new management called for the culling of "dispersing males and/or repeat raiders". In June 2010 this was extended to include individual raiders as well as other categories.

Jenni Trethowan, manager of Baboon Matters, has been dedicated to the protection of the baboons after a troop of 18 baboons was shot in 1990 by Cape Nature Conservation (now CapeNature). Trethowan ran the highly effective monitor program to help reduce friction between baboons and residents by herding them out of residential areas to forage in the hills.

After more than a decade of involvement, an interim contract to monitor the baboons was instead awarded to another organization in July 2009 amidst allegations of irregularities in the contract awarding process by the Baboon Management Team (chaired by a CapeNature representative).

Baboons have been legally protected for the last decade in the Cape Peninsula and threats to their well-being have come mainly from residents' actions against them. During this time there was little or no law enforcement to serve as a deterrent to residents, despite stiff penalties existing.

Now, however, following the appointment of the new service provider, management strategies are a major factor threatening the baboons, with a new protocol also potentially stripping them of their protected status.

The controversial protocol prepared in August 2009, using scientific recommendations and endorsement, involves culling of baboons. It caused an outcry as it targets for possible culling so-called "dispersing males" (young healthy baboons leaving the troop and coming into the urban space) as well as "repeat raiders" - a category many, if not most of the baboons fall into when residents are "repeat non-securers", repeatedly refusing to or not effectively securing their bins and properties.

Scientific recommendations made by a baboon research unit were presented on 2 July 2009 at a baboon expert workshop, hosted by the City in partnership with CapeNature and focused on the removal of individuals and troops from urban areas. A number of the recommendations have been slammed including herding with bear bangers and bull whips and a culling protocol which was adopted in August 2009. As the baboons are not permitted to be moved off the Peninsula, "selective removal" means, in effect, they could be culled or killed.

Despite public protestations, several male baboons have been literally earmarked for culling, including Bart and Sol, members of the Tokai troop which was specifically mentioned by the head of the baboon research unit in his workshop presentation as having too many males. Sol was culled in January 2010 in terms of the dispersing male and repeat raiders protocol and William was culled in 2011, the first baboon culled in terms of the individual raiders protocol.

The highly questionable scientific recommendations included whips which were introduced to herd the baboons, supposedly as a noise deterrent, but subject to abuse, prompting objections from Cape of Good Hope SPCA, CEO Allan Perrins and members of the public, as well as bear bangers censured by the NSPCA. Repeated attempts have been made to introduce these methods.

Many believe not only does the protocol need to be abandoned, the baboon monitoring needs to revert to Baboon Matters training methods. They have long proven concern for the animals' welfare, as individuals and as a whole.

NCC was awarded another interim contract starting February 2010 and an 18 month contract was awarded in October 2010 to them.

Unless the right decisions and actions are taken, Cape Town's remaining Chacma baboons - for many people as much a part of Cape Town as Table Mountain itself and a popular tourist attraction - appear increasingly endangered.