Stop Killing Baboons!

Stop killing baboons – June 2024

After a great deal of careful consideration and legal input, Baboon Matters Trust has joined a High Court application to secure an order in which the authorities will be held accountable for not implementing their own solutions to mitigate points of conflict in the baboon human interface. We have taken this important decsion in light of the on-going high death rate of baboons and in light of the fact that the Joint Task Team seem unable to resolve their differnces of opinion, as result of which is that baboons suffer.

Below is our media statement in this regard:

Long awaited legal action against Authorities (being the City of Cape Town, SANparks, Table Mountain National Park, Western Cape  Nature Conservation Board, the South African Navy and the Minister of Environmental Affairs) for failure to Implement Solutions in the decades old conflict regarding the Cape Peninsula Baboon Human interface.

In response to the prolonged, unresolved and rapidly escalating human-baboon conflict on the Cape Peninsula, legal action is being pursued against the authorities for their failure to implement agreed-upon strategies to address the situation; Ryno Engelbrecht, Baboon Matters Trust, Beauty Without Cruelty SA and Jo-Anne Bosman have taken this step to hold the authorities accountable for their inaction and negligence. 

Decades of tensions between humans and baboons have been a continual source of conflict and despite discussions, proposals and endless meetings, lack of consensus among decision-makers has resulted in inaction leaving both human communities and the baboons vulnerable. 

There is general agreement that baboons should thrive in natural habitats rather than human-occupied areas and proposed mitigation measures including reducing attractants, enforcing bylaws, deploying trained rangers and implementing strategically placed baboon-proof electric fencing, all of which have been researched and agreed upon for over 23 years, have only been partially implemented - if at all.

The conflict has been exacerbated by the erosion of the natural landscape over these many years through unbridled development within a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

It seems that the lack of co-operation, ongoing disagreements and intransigence among relevant Authorities regarding their roles, responsibilities, mandates and application of budgets has resulted in failure to discharge their statutory obligations and created inertia with no clear sign of a viable working plan that addresses the wellbeing of baboons and humans . 

The failure to act has resulted in the mistreatment, criminalization, harm and death of baboons, a protected species, while residents within communities face damage to property and have become increasingly intolerant - escalating the conflict further. 

The breaking point for stakeholders came with the decision taken to terminate the Urban Baboon Programme. The ranger project was initiated in 2001 and has been a tendered service contracted by the City of Cape since 2009; the service provider has to keep baboons outside the urban edge, within baboon ranges and manage troops within tourist areas. The Authorities have jointly decided to end the program on 31 December 2024.

Without a viable alternative solution in place, there will be an escalation of conflict within communities facing an untenable situation and the consequence of unmanaged baboons in urban areas will lead to a sharp increase in injured baboons and an even higher death rate within this closed population which is already showing signs of decline. 

This extremely ill-considered and irresponsible decision underscores the urgent need for intervention and legal action which is being taken by the applicants to hold the Authorities accountable. 

We are seeking a court order to order the Authorities to uphold their responsibilities and take urgent action to address the escalating conflict on the Cape Peninsula through the immediate implementation of solutions that they, themselves, have identified, researched and reported on for the past 23 years. Relief includes the continuation of the Urban Baboon Program, provision of strategic baboon proof fences, appropriate baboon proof bins, traffic calming and insulation of electric powerlines, all of which must be fulfilled within determined timelines and not at cost to the residents.

We believe that this legal action is essential, not only for the Cape peninsula baboons, but for baboons over South Africa who face similar predicaments.

Thank you for your on-going support of our work for baboons.