A couple of weeks ago I was cycling through the Smitswinkel baboon range, passing Miller’s Point when I was startled out of my early morning reverie as a baboon came ‘hoofing up’ behind me. Smart “chirps” from fellow cyclists …. ” Like your new coach” … “Better hurry up he’s catching you…”
It served as a reminder of just how athletic and how quickly Chacma baboons cover ground. Apparently they can clock speeds of up to 56 km/hour. Of interest was his intention and direction in which he was running – towards town, though first he detoured via the parking area near the picnic grounds to check on a vehicle where two fishermen were gearing up for a day’s fishing. The car doors were wide open, so he went by to recce whether there were any ‘easy food pickings’. No luck, they chased him off. And on he went, up and over the hill towards the houses. Sure enough later that morning a video clip of a house raid came up on the local WhatsApp group. Eggs! Calmly seated on top of a kitchen counter, he was filmed tucking into a dozen raw eggs. This was a devastating sight! Scoring a nutritious hit such as this high quality protein meal would only serve to reinforce raiding behaviour. Householders need to do a lot better at baboon-proofing homes, and stepping up vigilance in preventing baboons from entering.
The City of Cape Town hires contractors who deploy field rangers, but managing free ranging wild animals such as these agile baboons is no easy task. The use of tracking tools such as telemetry and VHF collars assist in keeping tabs on their movements, but there are drawbacks for the rangers being on foot, and the animals often give the men the slip. We can’t just rely on the rangers to keep the baboons out of the suburbs, there also needs to be a collective ‘buy in’ and response from the residents to minimise attractants and keep refuse bins secure and out of sight.
Nature on the Edge 
I think I’d rather deal with black bears… they aren’t as smart, nor agile (but they do have long memories for food sites, usually trash bins and bird feeders, both easy to control).
Sounds like a great deal more bravery would be needed facing off a black bear! Amazing memory sense returning to food sites. The baboons do that too, especially pitching up when trees or shrubs bear fruit or berries. So canny how they slot into a seasonal calendar.
Once again you highlight the human element in this ongoing conflict: we should do more to keep them out of our homes whilst respecting their homes that we have encroached upon.
It’s difficult to define the ‘no-go’ boundaries, it needs ‘tough love’ and a consistent approach in keeping them out of the urban areas ….
They’re such intelligent animals and we really should do better, as you highlight, to protect them against the temptations we put in their way.
So true! Light a braai and it’s like sounding a dinner gong … and the refuse bins are like beacons. In some cases ‘decoy’ food also becomes a way of getting what they want. It’s tricky, but at least lessening attractants definitely helps as they move on.
Hi Liz, I hope you’re keeping well. I’m going to share this again because it’s so relevant and locals need to do their bit to deter baboons from raiding on their properties. Although the City of Cape Town has not had any stock of baboon-proof bins for about 18 months, it’s no excuse … there are several excellent, cheap and easy ways to make your bin baboon-proofed.
Good to see you here, Lynette and thanks for sharing. Yes, i agree there are ways to secure the wheelie bins – pre the lockable bins we used to tie ours down with strong cord and also built a storage area to stow out of sight. That was effective, except of course on collection day.