Baboon groups finding common ground

PLETTENBERG BAY - A new initiative to get to the bottom of Plett's baboon problem has been launched, seeking to more closely align three different groups that each proposes a solution.

It followed the disbanding of the short-lived Bitou Baboon Action Committee Plett (BBACP), that was formed as a starting point to address and assist in finding solutions for the problem.

The new initiative held its first meeting at the Piesang Valley Community Centre on Wednesday 10 April.

Following the meeting, one of the conveners, software expert Luke Mavrodaris, issued a statement last week that three new WhatsApp groups have been formed - one for each of the initiatives.

Common ground

Mavrodaris has invited their respective key people to become admins on those groups.

"We spent the week discussing the objectives and strategies that each group subscribes to and tried to agree on the wording of an executive summary of those aspects," he said.

"Some groups were more keen than others to work with us. We explained that we would publish the means to discuss, engage with, or otherwise support and progress each of the three initiatives through the use of dedicated WhatsApp groups."

Mavrodaris said one of the initiatives prefers to wait before inviting further participation.

No extremists

"We have not engaged with the extremists at either end of the spectrum," Mavrodaris said. "If you find yourself subscribing to the view that the best way of dealing with the baboons is to set a few extra places for dinner, invite them over and have a friendly but stern chat with them, then by all means get together and establish your own forum. Similarly, if you think the best approach is to round them all up, shackle them together, put them in a field and drop a small thermonuclear device on the lot of them, the same advice applies - establish a forum for yourself of like-minded individuals," he quipped.

He said three groups closer to the middle of the spectrum share many similarities in approach "and, of course, a few notable differences".