CapeNature, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, and the City of Cape Town made a joint decision under the leadership of CapeNature to have a young dispersing male baboon removed from the Cape Peninsula and invite organisations to apply to CapeNature to translocate a young dispersing male baboon from the Smitswinkel Bay troop to a suitable wildlife facility outside of the Western Cape. Two recent attempts at relocating SWB12 to the Da Gama troop were unsuccessful. Interested organisations will have until 11 March 2022 to apply for a permit to translocate the baboon to a rehabilitation centre in another province. Read more below:
Organisations are encouraged to apply to CapeNature for a translocation permit by 16:00 on Friday, 11 March 2022. Processing of any applications will be prioritised by CapeNature.
SWB12 left his natal troop in October 2021. Unfortunately, he failed to integrate with the Da Gama troop on two occasions. The first relocation attempt was on 21 December 2021 and the second on 23 February 2022.
Since then he has been spending all of his time in Simon’s Town and surrounds, increasingly displaying raiding behaviour.
The joint decision is based on the following:
- SWB12 is exposed to many dangers in the urban environment such as dogs, traffic, and hostility from some residents
- two recent attempts to have him relocated have not succeeded
- attempts to keep SWB12 in his natural environment have been increasingly futile.
If no applications are received, or none is successful, CapeNature, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, and the City of Cape Town will reconvene as soon as possible to decide the future of the baboon, under the leadership of CapeNature.
In the meantime, the City’s service provider, NCC Environmental Services, will keep on monitoring SWB12.
CapeNature, the CGHSPCA, and the City are calling on residents, the general public, and stakeholders to please not follow, or interfere with SWB12 in any way.
The public is also reminded that the feeding of wild animals is prohibited by law.
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