Monkeying around with Betty’s Bay baboons

Writer: Elaine Davie.

Baboon management in the Overstrand has for many years been a contentious issue. However, the warfare that has broken out in Betty’s Bay over the management of the resident troop of 16 baboons has now become a matter of life and death – for the baboons. The most ironic aspect of the matter is that the majority of the stakeholders seem to agree that their main concern is for the welfare of the baboons.

Another point of agreement is that things cannot continue as they are, where neither the baboons, nor the human population are winners. It does appear, though, that the baboons are the greatest losers: whereas some people are having their homes trashed and their pets apparently terrorised (no small thing), some baboons are being fatally injured, either in the form of road kill or at the hands of humans and in some cases, their dogs, hence the small size of the troop – this, in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

At peace in his home in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, a member of the Betty’s Bay troop.

PHOTO: Pete Oxford

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