Cape Town - The Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team is introducing the idea of a baboon-proof fencing initiative for affected communities which could help keep the animals safe and in their natural habitat and away from urban environments.
The news comes just a week after a female Seaforth resident admitted to shooting three baboons and killing one of them.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA said they were awaiting more evidence to support the woman’s claims regarding the two other baboons, after the remains of the deceased animal were retrieved for testing.
A case of Animal Cruelty and the Firearms Control Act in the discharge of a firearm in the residential area has been opened at Simon’s Town Police Station against the woman, who cannot be identified.
The woman allegedly made Facebook threats according to the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, in one text she allegedly wrote: “This is a Great Opportunity for me to apply for a licence for a shotgun… “I’ll call them to fetch the remains for sure.”
Belinda Abraham of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA said they had noted an increase in injury and fatalities of troop members.
They indicated earlier this year, a male dubbed, “Van Damme”, which had begun forming splinter troops and had sustained injuries by another baboon, had to be euthanised.
Police confirmed an inquiry was pending on the woman’s claims that she had been protecting herself from a troop of baboons which were entering her home and ransacked her kitchen.
In a joint statement from the City of Cape Town, Cape Nature and SANParks, South African National Parks said a report would now be made available to the public for a baboon-proof fence for consideration, which would secure the animals in their natural habitat.
This report will be made available at the end of September, known as the Baboon Strategic Management Plan, after a memorandum was signed by three spheres of government in July 2023.
The task team said various sites were visited in the Simon’s Town and Scarborough areas to investigate which would be feasible for the fencing.
They had to take into consideration the available funding, terrain, land ownership and environmental authorisation.
They said the report would provide background information on examples of the successful implementation of baboon-proof fencing on the Cape Peninsula, what the fencing could look like in height and design to ensure the free movement of small animals, and maps indicating locations that may be considered for baboon-proof fencing on the Cape Peninsula
“The JTT ( Joint Task Team ) will present and discuss the proposals in the fencing report with the affected communities in coming months,” they said.
“The first community engagements are proposed to be in October and November with residents from Simon’s Town, Constantia, Murdoch Valley, and Zwaanswyk/Tokai.”
The report is available here:
SANParks website: https://bit.ly/3rsUrks
CapeNature website: https://bit.ly/3PVn7fy
City of Cape Town website: https://bit.ly/48r4kQm