The Citizen (KZN)

Battle over baboon continues

- Nica Richards

The standoff between animal activists and baboon management authoritie­s in the Cape is reaching boiling point, as the fight over a recently relocated baboon, SK11 or Kataza, continues.

SK11, a male adult, and about 13 troop members split away from the original Slangkop troop and moved to Oceans View in May, upsetting the resients of Kommetjie. That month alone, 89 baboon raid-related calls were logged.

Baboon Matters has disputed the split in the troop.

City of Cape Town biodiversi­ty management branch manager Julia Wood said SK11 was often the first to “try to break the line, and often took individual­s into town”. In May, Kataza broke the line 10 times and incited others to “join him in raiding town,” she said.

Due to SK11’s shenanigan­s, he was relocated to the northern sub-population of Tokai, in a bid to move baboons out of urban areas. The move was also in a bid to help manage the gene pool of the troop by making it more diverse.

But animal activists are not convinced, with a post on Baboon Matters’ Facebook page saying that Kataza’s “inbreeding” and subsequent relocation “is a bit like moving the deck chairs around on the Titanic”.

However, Baboons of Cape Town has accused residents of harassing, tracking and feeding SK11, which is making his integratio­n into the Tokai troop more difficult. There are also reports that activists have been trying to lure SK11 back to the area where the Slangkop Troop resides in Kommetjie.

Activists feel the treatment of baboons in the Cape Peninsula, and Kataza specifical­ly, has not been favourable.

Wood said that from July 2012 to June 2013, management deaths represente­d 37% of all mortalitie­s during this time, due to increased interventi­ons required to manage “overtly aggressive raiding males” in baboon population­s. Currently, management mortalitie­s represent 10%.

But institutio­ns such as SANParks, CapeNature, the University of Cape Town, the City of Cape Town, the SPCA and the Councillor Appointed Representa­tives of Baboon Suburbs, which forms the Baboon Technical Team, argue the management is rooted in science and follows internatio­nal best practice.

The Cape Peninsula’s baboon population has boomed since 2006, with a recorded 80% increase. There are currently 445 baboons, with an average troop size of 39.

The City of Cape Town pours R14 million per year on employing rangers to keep baboons out of suburbia.

According to the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, a meeting has been requested with authoritie­s to discuss Kataza’s future.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from South Africa