The rogue baboon causes drama in Cape Town – the Citizen

A male baboon leading regular raiding groups in the city has sparked a clash between animal rights activists and authorities in Cape Town City, which is now reaching boiling point.

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SK11, or Kataza, an adult male baboon, was born into the Slangkop Troop, but began to form a splinter group with related females.

Kataza and around 13 troop members moved to Oceans View on May 16, which started the town of Kommetjie’s current problems with baboons in the area. In May, Kommetjie alone recorded 89 calls related to raids.

Julia Wood, manager of the Cape Town City Biodiversity Management Branch, said the rogue man was often the first to “try to break the line and often lead people into the city.” . She said that in May, Kataza broke the line 10 times and incited others to “join him in the assault on the city.”

This created challenges for the management of the troop, which eventually began to sleep in urban areas.

Due to SK11’s shenanigans, it was decided that he would be relocated to the northern subpopulation of Tokai, in an attempt to get the baboons out of urban areas as they face a host of dangers.

From pellet guns to aggressive dogs and cars, baboons risk their lives to scavenge through urban residents’ trash. In the last three years alone, the number of baboons killed by dogs and cars has doubled.

The move was also a bit to help manage the baboon gene pool by making it more diverse.

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

However, the Baboons of Cape Town has accused residents of harassing, tracking and feeding SK11, making it difficult for them to integrate into the Tokai troop. There are also reports that activists have been trying to lure SK11 to the area where the Slangkop Troop resides, in Kommetijie.

But which side will prevail?

On the one hand, activists feel that the treatment of baboons in the Cape Peninsula, and Kataza specifically, has not been favorable.

Wood explained that from July 2012 to June 2013, handling deaths accounted for 37% of all deaths during this time, due to the increase in interventions needed to manage “overtly aggressive assault males” in baboon populations. . Currently, driving fatalities represent 10% of all deaths.

On the other hand, institutions such as SANParks, CapeNature, the University of Cape Town, the City of Cape Town, the SPCA and the Baboon Suburbs (Carbs) Designated Councilor Representatives, which form the Baboon Technical Team, argue that the management Baboon has its roots in science and follows international best practices.

The intricate balancing act of creating an environment where humans and baboons can coexist is also not solely dependent on those who have dedicated their lives to monitoring the situation.

Residents have been repeatedly encouraged to help by securing their properties and marking containers that are not baboon-proof.

However, the City does not currently have a tender to supply baboon-proof containers to all households, which would help deter baboons from being able to eat a free snack, rather than spending hours foraging for food.

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

The service provider currently managing the troops is Human Wildlife Solutions (HWS), but their contract expires soon. They appeal the decision to award the tender to the NCC in March.

The city of Cape Town spends 14 million rand a year employing rangers to keep baboons out of the suburbs.

Tensions are also being experienced within the troops themselves, and infanticides have more than doubled in the last three years. Wood summed up this as “intra-mandrel conflict.”

Efforts are focusing on Kataza because he has been at the forefront of a series of recent raids. SK11 has been involved in raiding containers at Kommetjie Shops and a gas station, and venturing into open properties in the area.

SK11 and another man, SK10, have also clashed on several occasions, the most recent of which damaged the roofs of the properties.

But current methods may be working, albeit slowly.

The 2019/20 management year saw for the first time a notable decrease in the amount of time troops spend outside the city, that is, with the exception of the elusive Slangkop troop, who spend a great deal of time in Kommetjie after moving to Slangkop Mountain in January.

Wood also reported that SK11 has visited the Tokai troop on a daily basis since it was relocated.

University of Cape Town zoology department professor Justin O’Riain said that despite numerous efforts, “the Kommetjie community to date has never succeeded in removing attractants,” explaining his suggestion of build an electric fence along a section of the firebreak between Slangkop Mountain. and the town of Kommetjie.

“We believe this is the only long-term solution to this comment and this troop forms a lasting relationship as good neighbors.”

Wood said that since the possession and relocation of SK11, the Slangkop troop has been kept out of Kommetjie for 16 of the 19 days. The troop is no longer fragmented, allowing park rangers to manage it as a single troop, and although it is still early, the intervention “appears to have benefited the troop’s well-being.”

The relocation of SK11 has also allowed the rangers to be more dispersed on the Peninsula.

“At the height of the July raids on Kommetjie, nine baboon rangers were working on Kommetjie. This is not sustainable. It means that other troops on the Peninsula are not angry. There are no resources to continue like this, ”he said.

According to the SPCA of the Cape of Good Hope, an urgent meeting with the authorities has been requested to discuss the future of Kataza.

Until then, activists and authorities continue to fight to figure out what would ultimately be the best move for Kataza and the Kataza-like incidents of the future.

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