WILD LIFERS: Full board. Life term. You can check out, but you can never leave
Sixty baboons are destined for Cape Town’s new enclosures, with a promise of less danger and less stress. Inside the fence, good intentions meet difficult questions: how to evacuate two troops in a wildfire, who pays for decades of care and what happens if nobody does?
Sixty baboons are set to become residents of Cape Town’s new Urban Baboon Centre, where they will reside in specially designed enclosures with comfortable amenities. The project, managed by the Cape Baboon Partnership, aims to provide a safer habitat for these primates and reduce interactions with humans. The enclosure will feature sleeping platforms at varying heights, pools of fresh water, and regular meals, all while being enclosed by an electrified fence that delivers a potential shock of 8,000 to 9,000 volts.
The centre’s two troops will occupy 2.3 hectares for the Waterfall baboons and 1.6 hectares for the Seaforth baboons, with potential extensions if environmental permissions allow. The entire project, estimated to cost R10 million, covers development and up to three years of operations. Half of the budget has been allocated to the construction of the fence, which is designed to keep the baboons contained and deter wild troops from entering the area.
The baboons' welfare will be overseen by Animal Care Manager Karen Sacs, who will be responsible for their feeding, maintenance, and overall care. The project has faced opposition from protesters who gather every Sunday at 11am to voice their concerns. However, the centre's designers and managers remain committed to providing the baboons with the best possible living conditions, despite the challenges and potential risks they may face.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
