Baboon Matters is working across South Africa to conserve baboons through our education, job creation and advocacy work. In 2017 we drove 15 000km across South Africa to work in rural areas, helping subsistence farmers and communities learn how to manage their properties to reduce losses and conflict with their wildlife neighbours. We travel widely to help injured or trapped baboons and get orphaned baboons to places of safety. We urgently need a strong reliable vehicle to continue our work.
All over South Africa land is being taken up by intensive agriculture and urban development resulting in increased conflict with our wildlife neighbours. The recent extreme droughts over much of the country have exacerbated the problems. Baboon Matters urgently needs a vehicle so that we can respond to the many requests for help we get from all over the country. We help rescue trapped, injured and orphaned baboons as well as workshop and teach sustainable methods that reduce conflict situations.
Baboon Matters must have a strong reliable vehicle so that we can get to baboons in distress or to areas where residents and farmers have requested our help. Having our own vehicle will enable us to rescue injured or orphaned baboons, assist subsistence farmers and teach skills to unemployed people across South Africa. As the majority of our work is field based - we need to be in the field and need flexibility to respond to urgent situations.
By demonstrating efficient sustainable solutions we believe that there will be a reduction in losses caused by baboons and therefore fewer baboons killed by irate people. Our work focus is on creating job opportunities for previously unemployed people and educating farmers and urban areas on how to better manage their land which will result in minimal conflicts with wildlife. The long term benefit of getting out to help people and baboons will result in better understanding between species.
