The head of KRRA, Patrick Dowling, has called for calm after an ugly showdown in Kommetjie on Sunday night that resulted in a severely injured member of the Slangkop baboon troop.
The altercation took place in the road near the blackened hulk of Swan Lodge, which remains derelict after it was gutted by fire almost three years ago. It has since become a place for the baboons to roost in the absence of concrete progress.
Dowling attempted to intervene as angry residents, some armed with sticks, baseball bats and pepper spray, formed a group in protest at habituated baboons entering the village, and sometimes sleeping at the lodge. The situation escalated when the group clashed with residents attempting to protect the baboons as they approached the area.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA has initiated an urgent investigation into the alleged attack on the baboon by a man who sprayed it with pepper spray and chased the disorientated animal with a stick as it tried to get away.
A resident on the Kommetjie Kommunity Facebook page said the perpetrator ran after the baboon, "attacking him and shouting, and the poor baboon was running into objects, including a car, and struggling to find his way, totally blinded.”
In a statement, the SPCA said: “(The baboon) was further injured by electrocution on an electric fence while attempting to escape. The Cape of Good Hope SPCA Inspectors were called to the scene and intervened, rescuing the injured baboon and transporting it to our Wildlife Department for urgent care. Despite our best efforts, the animal's prognosis remains uncertain.”
Dowling said that while a perceived lack of action from Cape Nature and the City of Cape Town was frustrating, nothing could justify such aggression and cruelty to animals.
“This type of lynch mob vigilante mentality unfortunately undoes efforts to find solutions to the problem. It is also embarrassing for our village and its residents that the outside world sees Kommetjie as breeding ground for violent thuggery. There is no place for it,” he said.
He stressed the need for opposing sides to sit down around a table and find common ground.
The SPCA said that it was collecting evidence to proceed with a criminal case of animal cruelty in terms of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962, and they had approached Cape Nature to consider further charges under the Nature Conservation Ordinance.
SPCA Chief Inspector Jaco Pieterse urged the public to respect the law and the rights of animals: “Taking matters into your own hands and inflicting harm on wildlife is not only illegal but also morally reprehensible. Be assured, we will pursue justice aggressively for these acts of cruelty. No one is above the law."
Local resident Chip Snaddon, speaking on the Kommetjie Kommunity group, said: “I hope that the perpetrators of these cruel, violent acts are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. A message must be sent loud and clear that this is never a solution, no matter how frustrated, irritated or scared some people might feel.”
Another resident placed the blame at the hands of the authorities: "They just need to do their jobs and implement the solutions they identified over 24 years ago. That’s where the problem is and where the blame lies."
Longstanding resident Alan van Gysen, who took photographs of the incident, said the baboon issue was a divisive topic in Kommetjie open to false interpretation.
“We need verified facts, we need to hold all persons, parties and organisations accountable for their actions and inactions, and not just those who shout the loudest. This should include Cape Nature, TMNP, The City of Cape Town, SPCA, activists and affected residents,” he said.
He pointed out that other animals, such as domestic cats and dogs, also get caught up in the conflict. He urged consistency from the SPCA, asking whether anyone “had reported on the four euthanised dogs in the area” from wounds incurred by baboons.
Van Gysen pointed out that there had been a buildup of “stress and trauma, especially for people at the edge of the mountain, who are on knife edge juggling the safety of children, pets and baboons. It is critical that the JTT (Joint Task Team) and opposing parties come together to talk this out”.
He welcomed level-headed intervention "by people like KRRA Head Patrick Dowling and Baboon Matters founder Jenni Trethowan to provide counsel to calm the situation down. Over-zealous people on both sides are making the situation worse".
Dowling said that it was important for people to be able to voice their opinions, and encouraged debate and dialogue as the only way to reach a solution, should it exist. The KRRA was monitoring the upcoming court case by Baboon Matters, one of four applicants who have gone to court (the Western Cape Division of the High Court in Cape Town) to hold authorities accountable for the alleged failure to implement baboon management strategies in the Cape Peninsula.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA has appealed to anyone with information about the Sunday evening attack "to come forward to assist in our investigation by calling our Inspectorate on 021 700 4158/9 or by sending an email to inspectorate@spca-ct.co.za”.
Residents, particularly people who are relatively new to the village, are urged to read up about mitigation methods and practical guides for people who live with baboons, including safe and non violent methods to discourage them, such as securing garbage bins (see video below to see how you can easily baboon-proof your garbage bin). For this massively detailed resource pack on baboon research, behaviour, baboon management and mitigation, click here.
Or go to Baboon Matters, a well known and active group who work at resolving the baboon issue: https://baboonmatters.org.za/
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