A reward of R8 000 is being offered for information that will lead to the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrator responsible for allegedly shooting and killing a chacma baboon in Constantia last week.
Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC), an animal rights organisation, offered the award following the shooting of a female baboon on Sunday 25 September.
Toni Brockhoven, national chairperson of BWC, describes the shooting of the baboon as despicable.
“Over and above the lack of morals and ethics shown, firing a weapon in a residential area is also illegal,” says Brockhoven.
She says the incident must be laid at the door of the City of Cape Town “who removed the area monitors”.
“Leaving a vacuum, dependent on local volunteers to monitor and assist the baboons in a treacherous road area, and resulting in ever more impatient and unreasonable residents to harass and harm the baboons whose behaviour is directly impacted by human lack of respect, leaving litter, unlocked bins and easy access to homes.”
The incident left residents and activists shocked and angry.
In a Facebook post, Jenni Trethowan of Baboon Matters wrote that volunteers on duty in Constantia witnessed the female baboon being shot.
“Yesterday afternoon, volunteers on duty in Constantia witnessed a tragic event when an irate resident shot a young female baboon in the chest.
“Everyone at the scene, the rescuers from the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, were deeply moved at the way in which Quinton protected his critically injured troop mate.
“We hope that the killer will be prosecuted to the full limit of the law.”
She added that, to her knowledge, the SPCA had to dart the baboon and later humanely euthanise it due to its injury.
“There needs to be an immediate response from the City. That baboon troop has lost quite a few of its members now. The City needs to reinstate the area monitors.”
In a separate post, Angela Rackstraw wrote that the female baboon suffered.
“She took four hours to die the most agonising death, drowning in her own blood, with each breath being utterly excruciating.
“The alpha male tried to protect her, which is why the SPCA took a while to retrieve her; by then there was nothing they could do for her. Her infant male is being looked after by other young mothers in the troop.
Rackstraw wrote that she had the privilege of spending half a day with a troop some years ago.
“That experience will stay with me forever. Baboons could actually teach us humans so much about humanity, if we weren’t such an arrogant and unfeeling species,” she wrote.
Brockhoven encourages witnesses to contact the SPCA on 021 700 4140.
“Your tip will be kept anonymous, unless you say otherwise,” she says.
