Budget Cut – Baboon Management

Click on the link below to read an article published by the Cape Argus on 30 April, about the budget cuts that are expected for baboon management.

Baboon Tender Budget Cut

 

Baboon Hotline Fridge Magnets

HWS has fridge magnets with the hotline phone number on it.  We would like to distribute it to people who rent out holiday accommodation, so that visitors can see the baboon hotline number.  Please contact us if you would like to receive a fridge magnet.  Phone 021 712 9544 or email ziggy@hwsolutions.co.za

Feeding baboons is a death sentence for them

Feeding baboons ultimately leads to their demise!

Breakthrough in Da Gama

We are delighted to report that for the first time the entire Da Gama Troop (Big and Small) slept on a rocky cliff just behind the Naval Flats.  Rangers spent months trying to teach them to sleep there and yesterday evening they decided by themselves to stay there. Rangers spent some time looking for them in the morning and then it was a wonderful discovery to find them at the cliffs.

Man of the moment

SK3 is the alpha male that brought the two Da Gama Troops together, which is great news for both troops and he’s fulfilling his role as alpha male splendidly!

Time spent out of town

When HWS took on the management of the Cape Town baboons in August 2012, there were many habitually raiding males in virtually every troop. Although the baboon troops very quickly responded to the management with paintball markers, the habitually raiding males were less easy to contain and all regions, particularly Tokai and Constantia, suffered from having males moving almost at will through the urban areas.  Through various management actions this situation has been mostly addressed, and although there are still some raiding males in a few troops, overall the troops stay out of town for more then 90% of the time (see graph). From a management point of view, if the troops can be kept out of the urban area for well over 95% of the time (last few months for all troops except Misty Cliffs Splinter) and if the males only raid with the troops, then effectively all the baboons will be kept of out town most of the time and the cycle of teaching younger baboons to raid can be broken.

Da Gama Troop Movement

After several months during which the Da Gama Big Troop (BT) spent all their time at Witsand and Ocean View, they returned to Da Gama Park on 26 June.  Soon after BT arrived, fighting ensued between SK3 and SK4.  On 6 July, SK4 was chased off and moved on his own towards Ocean View.  Initially SK3 was moving between the Big Troop (BT) and the Small Troop (ST).  On 7 July, both troops slept in the same pine trees at the Da Gama Naval flats, which is the first time in years that this has happened.  And for the first time on 8 July, rangers were able to push both troops towards the dams.  SK3 has played a massive role in bringing these two troops together and so far it is looking very positive that they will stay together.

See below a map of their approximate daily movement: