Baboons have revealed their hand, and that’s why a sanctuary is the best option
As authorities deal with the Western Cape’s urban baboon problem, which has cost tens of millions of rands, the only solution, this researcher believes, is the establishment of a secure sanctuary to protect the primates’ welfare.
In the Western Cape, urban baboon populations have become a significant issue, costing millions of dollars to manage. Professor M Justin O’Riain, director of the Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa at the University of Cape Town, believes that creating a secure sanctuary is the best solution for the primates’ welfare.
He first encountered the Waterfall troop in 2007 at Happy Valley Home, where they were enjoying stale doughnuts from residents. The baboons were becoming increasingly assertive, taking food from people, entering buildings, and searching for food in dormitories.
In 2010, a large male baboon entered the men’s dormitory and grabbed a bag of sugar, causing an elderly man to fall and die. This incident highlighted the dangers of humans and baboons sharing urban spaces. Baboon-proofing measures were implemented, but the baboons always found ways around them due to their adaptability and persistence.
In 2009, the situation became so tense that residents demanded that the CapeNature representative "catch the lot and truck them to the Overberg." A town hall meeting in 2010 resulted in the first management efforts, but the troop's daily presence in town only provided a brief reprieve for businesses and residents. In 2010, the authorities invested millions of rands in non-lethal methods to deter the troop, but the baboons continued to return, habituated to the new tools and still seeking food rewards in urban areas.
The Waterfall troop has suffered numerous injuries and deaths due to their interactions with humans, including broken bones from falls, gunshots, electrocutions, and dog bites. They also face poor health issues such as rotten teeth, infected gums, blindness, and hair loss. Residents experience damaged cars, houses, gardens, and the indirect impacts of food loss, exposure to pathogens, anxiety, and trauma related to baboon intrusions.
These damages lead to property value depreciation, increased time to sell properties, and deep conflict among neighbors.
While some residents enjoy watching baboons navigate urban areas, the extreme suffering of baboons, such as those from gunshot or vehicle accidents, can transform this fascination into a nightmare. Managing wildlife in human-dominated landscapes is contentious due to the diverse values and beliefs among stakeholders. There is no one-size-fits-all management option, so compromise is essential for any inclusive management decision.
Experts have provided data on the drivers of negative human-baboon interactions and methods to mitigate them, supporting both fencing and culling as potential solutions. However, the final decision on managing the human-baboon interface remains uncertain.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
