Residents living near baboons’ natural habitat, including Constantia and Tokai, have until the end of March to comment on a proposed plan to manage the primates.
The Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team, consisting of SANParks, CapeNature and the City, unveiled the draft plan on Friday January 27.
The plan proposes a new “sustainable“ approach with the three authorities taking the lead to implement it, according to a statement from the task team
“It is informed, among others, by research, international best practice and operational experience, as well as the input from stakeholders at Minister Barbara Creecy’s round table event at Kirstenbosch on 7 June 2022, and the community engagements undertaken by the City of Cape Town in August and September last year,” the statement said.
The draft plan is a 22-page document that provides a summary of proposals and responses from stakeholder engagements in 2022. It includes seven broad outcomes to achieve a sustainable baboon population:
• A wild baboon population is sustainably managed and conserved on the Cape Peninsula.
• Authorities at national, provincial and local level provide for regulatory requirements and the promotion of compliance and law enforcement.
• Stakeholder engagement and partnerships enable local solutions and action to encourage baboons to remain in natural areas and reduce human–baboon conflict.
• Effective waste management in the natural, rural and urban areas ensures that baboons are unable to access human derived foods.
• Stakeholder communication, education and awareness on all aspects of baboon management for residents, businesses and tourists enable the conservation and well-being of baboons and the mitigation of human-baboon conflict.
• Infrastructure and services are designed and operated to minimise impacts on baboons.
• Adaptive management of the baboon population is informed by continuous monitoring, evaluation, scientific research and stakeholder feedback.
A public meeting to discuss the draft plan will be held at Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden on Friday March 3.
The plan and a comment form are available online for downloading from the City, SanParks and CapeNature websites. Send comment and a completed form to commentscpbmjtt@capenature.co.za by Friday March 31.
