The City of Cape Town will in coming weeks meet with residents and businesses from baboon-affected areas, and interested parties. The intention is to discuss a suite of more sustainable proposals, many of which will be community driven and involve other spheres of government, as agreed to at the round table hosted by Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Barbara Creecy on 7 June 2022 at Kirstenbosch.
The Minister’s engagement was attended by, inter alia, SANParks, CapeNature, and City officials including Alderman Eddie Andrews, the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment. All three authorities agreed to work together to develop a sustainable programme for the management of the Chacma baboon population in the Cape Peninsula.
The City’s three-year contract with NCC Environmental Services, who is currently managing the Urban Baboon Programme on the City’s behalf, is coming to an end on 30 June 2023.
Given this end-date, the City has conducted a review of programme, which was implemented in 2012 to keep baboons out of the urban areas and in their natural habitat as far as possible.
The review concluded that current measures to keep baboons out of urban areas are unsustainable in the long-term due to several challenges, including:
the growth in the baboon population within the Table Mountain National Park and a shrinking natural habitat;
baboons are not deterred from leaving Table Mountain National Park, which leads to troops splitting and moving from the park into urban areas with large properties and trees, such as north of Constantia Nek, where baboon rangers are ineffective;
tools utilised to keep baboons out of the urban area such as paintball-markers and bear bangers have become less effective due to the presence of raiding males; reduced ratio of rangers to a growing baboon population; and baboons’ habituation to the use of aversive tools
Most of these challenges are beyond the City’s control and require the involvement of our partners in this space, namely SANParks, who is managing Table Mountain National Park and is responsible for all wildlife within the park; the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning; and CapeNature.
The review also found that community involvement and support are pivotal to the success of any such programme going forward.
Upcoming engagement process with residents to discuss sustainable proposals:
The City will meet with residents and businesses from baboon-affected areas to discuss a wide range of proposals, many of which will be community driven and sustainable in the long-term. These meetings will take place over coming weeks.
The outcome of the City’s meetings with residents, businesses, and interested and affected parties, will be presented to the joint Task Team consisting of SANParks, CapeNature, and the City.
The Task Team is responsible for developing a sustainable programme with the intention to have this in place, or in progress, by 30 June 2023.
The City’s initial proposals include the following, and may be expanded following the outcome of the upcoming engagements:
Work with communities in finding sustainable solutions suitable to each community’s unique circumstances and needs
The installation of strategic and virtual fences where the environment allows, with permission from SANParks and residents’ support
Establishing Special Rating Areas (SRAs) in baboon-affected suburbs where the special rates can fund solutions to keep baboons out of the urban area
An overlay zone as part of the City’s Development Management Scheme, imposing conditions on new developments in areas close to baboons’ natural habitat
Improved law-enforcement of the City’s by-laws in particular the Integrated Waste Management and Animal Keeping By-laws
A grant-in-aid for a welfare organisation to respond to injured wild animals and wild animals in distress across the whole metro, including baboons
Involving all relevant City departments to improve waste management, electricity installations (so that baboons are not electrocuted), road signage warnings, and so forth to ensure City operations are baboon friendly
Assisting communities with education on baboon proofing and awareness
To work with SANParks and CapeNature on a Memorandum of Understanding to govern baboon management in the Cape Peninsula
To assist the joint Task Team consisting of representatives from SANParks, CapeNature, and the City with the development of a workplace and participative programme for the management of a sustainable population of baboons on the Cape Peninsula, and the fulfilment of mandates as per the Memorandum of Understanding
‘The City proposes that under the new programme communities will become directly involved in devising and implementing solutions that are suitable to their unique circumstances. Our intention is to facilitate, support, and guide local solutions for local challenges.
‘The establishment of a joint Task Team consisting of representatives from all three regulatory authorities is a great accomplishment. I am cautiously optimistic that the commitment from all the stakeholders to work closely together will give us the best possible outcome as we all have a role to play in this space and responsibilities to fulfil,’ said Alderman Andrews.
Source: City Of Cape Town