NCC Environmental Services called the Cape of Good Hope SPCA Wildlife department to assist in rescuing a young female baboon from the MT2 (Mountain Troop 2) earlier this morning.
Minette Pieterse, NCC Field Manager, detected a snare around the neck of the young baboon. Inspector Elani Graham and Wildlife officer Jon Friedman arrived on the scene with a cage trap and wire cutting equipment. On their arrival, it became evident a cage trap approach would not suffice to capture the low-ranking female for treatment.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA called in Wildlife veterinarian, Dr Greg Simpson, to dart the juvenile baboon safely. Once the baboon was asleep, the team found that the thick wire snare had already cut deep into the baboon’s neck. Dr Simpson had to surgically remove the wire, only millimetres away from the jugular vein, right there in the field.
The wire was removed and the wound cleaned. A long acting antibiotic was administered as a precaution to mitigate possible infection. The baboon was allowed to wake up fully while being monitored and was successfully released back with the troop.
Last year, four baboons were rescued from snares across the Cape Peninsula. Lately, snares have become all too common and continue to ensnare our wildlife indiscriminately.
