'Removal' of baboon troops: 'I won't support killing these animals that have been persecuted for so long' - Baboon Matters

CapeTalk's John Maytham is joined by Jenni Trethowan, founding member of the Baboon Matters Trust.

The question of baboon management on the Cape peninsula has been a heated topic of debate for years, as contact between residents and troops increased.

Now a decision by the authorities to 'remove' what they say is five splinter troops has led to outrage.

The options in an action plan put forward by the Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (CPBMJTT) include translocation for rewilding, capture and removal to an existing or newly established sanctuary, humane euthanasia, or a combination of these options.

'Killing entire troops of Cape baboons is once again a very real threat despite 25 years of hard effort' is the title of an op-ed piece written for Daily Maverick by Jenni Trethowan, founding member of the Baboon Matters Trust.

In conversation with John Maytham, Trethowan highlights the nub of the problem as the failure by the relevant authorities to manage the baboons over all these years. These are the City of Cape Town, CapeNature, SANParks and Table Mountain National Park (the Joint Task Team, JTT).

"They've never implemented the mitigation strategies that they've spoken about. It's interesting for me because they've taken themselves to court, we've taken them to court, they've had top scientists giving them research opinions...I think there are mitigation solutions that could still be very useful."

Jenni Trethowan, Founding Member - Baboon Matters Trust

Trethowan questions whether there is actually funding available for a sanctuary, or whether this is proposal is just a way to placate the public, for now.

"If there's no money for fences and no will to put up fences, to get baboon-proof bins; is a sanctuary even really on the cards? Or is it just another way of placating the public until we get to this point where they say 'well, actually there's nothing left other than killing them'."

Jenni Trethowan, Founding Member - Baboon Matters Trust

Trethowan says she would support the removal of the baboons to a sanctuary, if this site accorded with her own idea of a safe space of several hectares where they could 'live out their best lives'

"If the best we can do for these animals that have been persecuted for so long is provide a safe sanctuary, I would support that. Let's be honest, they've been paintballed, shot, attacked by dogs, BECAUSE of the lack of mitigation."

Jenni Trethowan, Founding Member - Baboon Matters Trust

"What I will NOT support is this notion of killing the baboons because they haven't put in place the things that they should have put in place as early as 2000."

Jenni Trethowan, Founding Member - Baboon Matters Trust

The proposed action plan will be shared with a panel of international and local experts for review to provide a recommendation to the authorities.

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the interview with Trethowan