HUMAN-BABOON CONFLICT: SPCA seeks Kommetjie resident who pepper-sprayed baboon amid rising tensions

Residents of Kommetjie, a village on the Cape Peninsula in Cape Town’s deep south, say that the failure of local authorities to provide adequate resources for baboon management is a key factor behind recent escalations in human-baboon conflict in the area.

This comes after a protest about the presence of baboons in the town on Sunday culminated in an attack on a member of the local troop. The gathering, which was reportedly intended as a peaceful protest organised by the Kommetjie Baboon Action Group (KBAG), took place outside a burned-out building in which the troop had begun sleeping at night.

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA confirmed that one baboon was “severely impacted” by pepper spray during the protest, and suffered visual impairment and further injury on an electrified fence while disoriented and attempting to escape. Some residents, wielding sticks, reportedly went for the baboons.

“The situation escalated when animal activists, attempting to protect the baboons, clashed with the residents… SPCA inspectors were called to the scene and promptly intervened, rescuing the injured baboon and transporting it to our wildlife department for urgent care. Despite our best efforts, the animal’s prognosis remains uncertain,” it said.

Patrick Dowling, acting chairperson of the Kommetjie Residents and Ratepayers Association, was present at the scene attempting to mediate between the different groups.

“Most of the people who arrived, their intention seemed to be to have a peaceful but determined sort of protest… There are a range of different attitudes to baboons in Kommetjie, going from extreme affection and support to radical and belligerent opposition. There were individuals from both those extremes who exchanged invective,” he said.

“There was a human casualty from being sprayed with mace or pepper spray and there was a baboon injury as well, caused in the same way. It was disappointing to see this event deteriorate in this way.”

Susan Hume, an artist and Kommetjie resident, was taking her dog for a walk when she came across the protest. She said that while she understood residents’ frustrations about the presence of baboons in the urban area, she had to draw the line when it came to cruelty to animals.

“I’ve had damage to my own property, so I can understand it. I’ve got dogs. It’s very, very stressful for me,” she said. 

“But seeing the [pepper-sprayed] baboon flailing around – it ran into a car, then it dashed into a wall – it was trying to get up a tree, it couldn’t see anything – I found that very, very upsetting. 

“I find it really worrying that people feel okay about doing that, and I personally lay blame at the feet of the authorities. We desperately need help… If it weren’t for the SPCA, I don’t know what we would do.”

Service delivery crisis

Dowling is part of the Baboon Civics Coalition, an organisation made up of representatives from associations in baboon-affected areas. He said the group had been trying “unsuccessfully to engage meaningfully” with the Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team. 

“The build-up of frustration in the human community here has a lot to do with habituation problem and the insufficiently resourced management by the [baboon] rangers, because there are not enough personnel on the ground to do the job thoroughly, which means there are more and more incursions and… damages,” said Dowling.

“I think one of the main actions should be the [baboon-proof] fences. There’s still some opposition to that, but I think there’s more opposition to nothing happening. A lot of public perception is around [the idea that] there’s been a decided lack of responsiveness from the organisations that should be most responsible, and there seems to be… a reluctance to take over the payment for rangers.”

Most baboon troops on the Cape Peninsula are monitored by rangers from NCC Environmental Services, the city-contracted service provider for baboon management. 

However, the Urban Baboon Programme under which NCC Environmental Services is contracted is scheduled to be terminated in December. This will bring an end to the network of city-contracted rangers who are currently tasked with keeping baboons out of urban areas. 

Read more: Community baboon monitoring project in Cape Town claims pushback from authorities

Both Hume and Dowling say they have seen very little action by the task team when it comes to implementing baboon management strategies, other than the city-funded baboon monitoring programme in Kommetjie.

“Some people feel that it needs to hit rock bottom before the authorities will sit up and take notice,” said Dowling.

“A lot of others are also repeating the call for better-resourced and better-policed waste management. This has been an ongoing cry for probably several decades – promised bins of various designs have not been forthcoming.”

According to KBAG member Steve White, the gathering on Sunday was intended as a “service delivery protest” about the presence of baboons in the town. He claimed there had been instances in which dogs were injured in fights with baboons and had to be euthanised.

“[It’s about] a lot of people living in houses and paying rent and rates and not having the baboons in town. The baboons have become a major disruption to people’s lives in Kommetjie,” he said.

“My feeling is that the city needs to employ its own monitors… it also needs to have dedicated people that will manage the baboons.”

An online survey is currently being circulated in Kommetjie to gather information about residents’ interactions with baboons. As of Thursday, there had been 200 responses. Of the respondents, 66% reported that they had experienced damage to property or vehicles due to baboons. Just over half of the respondents indicated they would be willing to contribute money towards baboon rangers.

Polarised community

The SPCA has said it will be conducting a thorough investigation of the events surrounding the pepper spraying of the baboon on Sunday, and collecting evidence to proceed with a criminal case of animal cruelty in terms of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962. It has also approached CapeNature to explore further charges under the Nature Conservation Ordinance.

“We urge the public to respect the law and the rights of animals. Taking matters into your own hands and inflicting harm on wildlife is not only illegal but also morally reprehensible. Be assured that we will pursue justice aggressively for these acts of cruelty. No one is above the law,” said Jaco Pieterse, chief inspector of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA.

The issue of the baboons has been very polarising for the Kommetjie community, said Hume, adding that there have been previous instances of people attacking the animals.

“There have been many, many baboons shot at, pellet-riddled and poisoned… one died right outside my house one day. It’s absolutely traumatic. It’s a terrible, slow death,” she said.

“It’s terribly polarised now where we are, and I’m very depressed about it.”

Hume said she supported the legal action that was launched in April against local authorities responsible for baboon management strategies. 

Four applicants – the Baboon Matters nonprofit organisation; Beauty Without Cruelty; Jo-Anne Bosman, an animal rights activist in the Western Cape, and Ryno Engelbrecht, a resident of Capri on the Cape Peninsula – have approached the Western Cape High Court in an effort to hold local authorities accountable for their failure to implement proposed baboon management strategies in the region. The case will be heard on 4 November.

Read more: Baboon activists launch legal action seeking better management of troops in the Cape

Task team responds 

Daily Maverick reached out to the Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team about the concerns raised by Kommetjie residents. It said it had received a report from the service provider contracted to manage baboons in the area, detailing the following challenges:

• The easy access to human-derived food attractants in the area, including unprotected rubbish bins, fruit trees and vegetable gardens;
• The damaged building in the Kommetjie CBD that had become the preferred roosting site for the troop;
• The claim that some residents were intimidating the rangers and undermining their ability to operate safely or efficiently; and
• The polarisation in the community, with “severe differences” in opinion on how baboons should be managed and responded to. 

“This is not new but has escalated in recent times due to loud opposing voices. Most recently, this led to community unrest on 4 August 2024 where approximately 80 residents who wanted baboons out of the urban area were met with opposition from approximately six residents/individuals who believed that these residents intended to harm the baboons,” said the task team on the issue of polarisation. 

The team said there was an issue with some residents’ use of “extreme deterrent tactics” like paintball or pellet guns in Kommetjie. 

“[This causes] the baboons to scatter further afield, undoing the work of the rangers as they attempt to push individuals back together into groups to move them out of the area. The use of unpermitted weapons also poses a security and safety risk to the baboon rangers,” it said.

The task team claimed that some residents were feeding the baboons on their properties, which was illegal and detrimental to the rangers’ work.

When Daily Maverick asked about how the task team planned to address residents’ concerns about the impending shutdown of the baboon monitor programme, it responded, “The [team] will communicate the details of the transitioning period, starting on 1 January 2025, to the affected communities in due course.” DM