BABOON ACTION GROUP

What is the Baboon Action Group?

We are a volunteer group that promotes baboon awareness and education, liaises with the authorities, improves waste management and conducts research on the local troop.

Our Mission

To encourage and promote the harmonious coexistence of local baboon troops with the residents, business operators and visitors of Pringle Bay; through research-based knowledge, natural feeding practices, and interventions that are environmentally and conservation-friendly.

MONITORING PROGRAM

Human Wildlife Solutions (HWS) has been appointed by the Overstrand Municipality in 2020 for a period of three years to manage the Baboon Program in towns with human-baboon conflict, Pringle Bay being one of them.

The baboon management mandate given to HWS by the Municipality is the following:

The sustainable management of local baboon populations, by keeping them out of urban areas.

The Overstrand Municipality’s brief to Human Wildlife Solutions is to ensure the safety of the community, prevent raids, protect humans and baboons alike, and ensure the sustainable management of local baboon populations, by keeping them out of urban areas.

The community had requested HWS to adopt a ‘soft approach’ to monitoring and interacting with the baboons. Whilst there is no guideline in the Baboon Management Group for this ‘soft approach’, HWS installed the following as a ‘soft approach’:

Only the field manager is permitted to discharge a paintball in the CBD
Rangers are required to request to use a paintball marker
Paintball marker training
Chronograph (to measure paintball speed and keep within recommended Cape Nature guidelines)
Whistling, clapping, and shouting
Monitoring policy within the reserves is to not use paintball guns and to avoid close human contact.

For more information please view the Overstrand Municipality's presentation.

Update: Review of baboon management in Betty's Bay

Overstrand Municipality engaged the services of an independent qualified assessor to review HWS's baboon management in Betty's Bay, as well as the general situation with respect to baboon behaviour in that village. This was agreed upon by HWS and the municipality. It was made available at the August 2021 Baboon Liaison Committee meeting. The final report is shared here as some recommendations may have an impact on the way in which our baboon troops are managed in the future. Read the full report here.

PRINGLE BAY BABOON TROOP

The Pringle Bay troop has moved to Buffels River Dam and the Buffelstal Nature Reserve where there is ample vegetation for natural foraging. A new male has taken over as the alpha, whom the females have readily accepted and engaged with.

Photo credit: Human Wildlife Solutions

LIVING IN A BABOON AREA

Baboons coming into the village

On occasion some of the troop members still visit the village, therefore, it is crucial to keep household waste in baboon-proof bins (which is a mandatory requirement by the municipality) and secure homes by putting baboon-proof measures in place. Taking these precautionary measures are key to avoid luring the baboons back into the village. Please have a look at our Do's and Don't flyer for more information on living in a baboon area.

Understanding Baboons

SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS

Baboon Alerts Telegram Group

Join the Baboon Alerts Telegram group to receive and share information on the troop’s whereabouts, alerting you to secure your home and to enable the monitors to respond promptly.

To join email info@pringlebayratepayers.co.za with your name, cellphone number and ERF/Plot number.

Pringle Bay Baboons WhatsApp

There is always a need for questions and discussions, so in order to keep the Baboon Alerts Telegram group ONLY for alerts, we created the Pringle Bay Baboons WhatsApp group. Here we post photos, discuss, ask questions, and give advice on the baboons.