Activists and residents in the Deep South are working together with compassion and education to ensure the safety of four baboons that temporarily made Fish Hoek and Clovelly their home.
With increased urbanisation and no spaces left for baboons to forage, a rise in the interaction between humans and baboons of the Cape Peninsula was inevitable, said Lynda Silk, chair of Cape Peninsula Civil Conservation, a non-profit organisation (NPO).
Explaining the origin of the four baboons, Silk said they were from the Da Gama troop.
“Troops are fluid entities, for there are always changes in baboon groups, occurring as they do in any herd of wild animals, even antelopes.
“The males, when reaching sexual maturity, have to leave and find a new group, and it is important for the leader to be strong and healthy because males will test one another to see who is the strongest and most appropriate to hold the position of leader and alpha male.
“When tension arises among baboons some members may temporarily move to another location to avoid conflict.
“Some may believe the baboons are a new troop or a splinter group, but this is not the case. Baboon troops sometimes step away from conflict within the troop.”
The baboons, a male with two females and an infant, have regularly been sighted in the Fish Hoek, Clovelly and Kalk Bay areas since the second week of March.
“The male was the alpha of the Da Gama troop and he has done his time as the alpha,” explained Silk.
Finding baboons in Fish Hoek and Clovelly is nothing new, as until a decade ago, it had been a daily occurrence, she added.
“There were baboons in Fish Hoek regularly until around 10 years ago and then they brought in strong baboon management, which pushed them back. In our minds, it may not be a baboon area, but their sense of territory will always be in their DNA.”
While baboons forage in low-lying areas, their sleep sites include Elsies Peak and Glencairn Mountain.
Silk has since created a baboon alert group to inform residents about their location.
“The public has been wonderful and residents have been helpful and caring,” she said. “Some are concerned because they are not familiar with baboons or maybe they have heard stories that created fear.
“I encourage residents to join the alert group that gives a heads-up of the location of the baboons and when to bring [their] pets indoors. Contact us if you are afraid for your dogs and cats or vegetable garden.”
Guardian of the Deep director Sally Sivewright explained that there was no need for residents to panic or fear baboons.
“People sometimes react in fear and that could instigate some panic, however, these animals are omnivores and interested in foraging and food only.”
If food is made available or found, baboons will keep returning to the same space she adds.
Commenting on the group currently making its way to Fish Hoek and Clovelly regularly, Sivewright said it was perfectly normal behaviour.
“Sometimes a small group will break away to find a new troop and interact with another troop to fit in,” she said. “They are looking for a place of their own.”
“This is a population that is trying to survive in an overdeveloped environment and what we need to try is remove attractants altogether.”
Sivewright advises residents to secure their bins and ensure they are baboon-proof.
“Drill holes and tie it closed with a rope. We did that in Kommetjie and it really helps and works. Ensure the compost heap is secure and join alert groups. Also, don’t put out any bird food because that is an attractant.”
Another tip, if you have fruit trees and the fruit is ripe, pick it to ensure there is nothing to find.
“Baboons are peaceful and want to be left alone so we need to change our behaviour to mitigate,” she said.
“They have been in the peninsula for over a million years and they’ve always come to feed in low-lying areas and then walked back to their sleep areas, dispersing seeds as ecosystem engineers.”
