WILD LIFERS: ‘Free of freedom’ and the case against baboon captivity
Food, shelter and no future offspring. Opponents say Cape Town’s proposed baboon sanctuary comes with an expiry date for two wild troops. They want alternatives tested before the last generation goes behind the fence. The baboons will be safe. They will be fed. They will never have another baby. Eventually, there will be none left.
Opponents of a proposed baboon sanctuary in Simon's Town argue that the sanctuary would be a "functional extirpation" of the two wild troops, as it would result in the permanent removal and sterilisation of the baboons, effectively leading to their disappearance. They contend that the enclosure would only provide a temporary solution, as the baboons' social structure and knowledge would be lost without reproduction.
Luana Pasanisi, founder of Green Group Simonstown, vehemently opposes this idea, stating that captivity would only free the baboons from "freedom" and that every creature deserves the freedom to make its own choices and live on its own terms. She emphasizes the importance of preserving the baboons' natural environment and their rights as living beings.
The opposition to the sanctuary has garnered support from wildlife rescuers, a national forum of 30 organisations, schoolchildren, and artists. They argue that the baboons should be given a chance to coexist with humans, rather than being removed and confined. The opposition also highlights the challenges in reaching a consensus on how to address the baboons' presence in the area.
One artist, Carin Bester, created an installation for the Baboon Biennale that depicted 90 inward-facing red footprints representing baboons euthanised over 26 years, surrounded by 493 outward-facing black prints representing the 2025 Peninsula census. This visual representation aims to bring attention to the individual lives within a troop and the loss of each baboon.
Pasanisi and her team have been actively managing a community-funded ranger programme for Seaforth baboons, employing rangers to help keep the baboons out of urban areas and provide them with foraging opportunities. Despite her efforts, she believes that the baboons can still be managed in the wild and questions the assumption that fencing is the only solution.
The official plan acknowledges the waste problem caused by the baboons but fails to address the issue adequately. The proposed fence and waste management strategies remain untested and incomplete, leading to concerns about the feasibility and effectiveness of the sanctuary. The Wildlife Animal Protection Forum SA is calling for a pause in capture, an investigation into the technical and financial grounds for rejecting fencing, and a transparent feasibility process with deadlines.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
