Cape Town Battles Against Baboons

[Benny Seagull]

for those unable to make it to the world cup next year then things just got that slightly more exciting. south africa is battling with the control of baboons in and around cape town. imagine the chaos of football fans fighting primates. or is there even a difference?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/southafrica/6661555/South-Africa-tackles-rampaging-baboons-ahead-of-World-Cup.html

South Africa tackles rampaging baboons ahead of World Cup

The South African city of Cape Town is battling to control aggressive baboons ahead of next year's World Cup finals. Visitors to South Africa's premier holiday destination - and a World Cup 2010 venue - who are worried about becoming victims of the country's high crime rate could find themselves instead robbed by a more furry kind of felon: baboons.

The cheeky primates have learned how to open car doors and jump through windows in pursuit of tasty sandwiches and snacks.

City officials are battling to control the increasingly aggressive troupes and there are fears the problem will only worsen with the influx of visitors to Cape Town during the World Cup next year.

On Tuesday, a troupe of 29 baboons raided four cars outside Simon's Town, a small coastal neighborhood. A baboon dubbed "Fred", the leader of the group, opened unlocked doors and jumped through windows to search for food.

He ransacked a bag in the back seat of a red car as a couple panicked about their passports. A girl screamed nearby as a baboon hopped into her car through a back window. Others climbed on car roofs and hoods, looking for ways inside.

Many of those who stopped to watch the raid had their own cars broken into by other baboons.

"We spend the whole day basically rescuing tourists," said Mark Duffels, a volunteer who monitors the baboons in an effort to keep them at bay.

There are about 420 baboons in 17 troupes that roam the city's outskirts, especially the popular scenic sites along the coast. Baboons are a protected species under South African legislation but their persistent pursuit of food has led to conflict with residents.

The baboons associate humans and cars with food although people are strongly discouraged from feeding the animals.

But Justin O' Riain, head of the baboon research unit at the University of Cape Town, fears that the influx of visitors next year will only feed the primates' taste for human foods even more.

"Tourism is going to go through the roof, and this equals exposure to naive people and rich pickings," he said. "People who stop the car, they're going to get raided."

Concerned Simon's Town residents asked on Monday for a gate to be put up on the road that leads to the nearby Cape of Good Hope nature reserve.

Cars would be stopped before they enter baboon territory and given a brochure in their native language explaining why they should stay in their cars, lock their doors and close their windows if they see baboons.

"We're so anxious about tourists who can't read or understand English. It puts them at risk," said Liz Hardman, who is leading the campaign. "The perception is that the baboons are harmless and they're not. They're wild animals."

 

[wellquickwoody]

for those unable to make it to the world cup next year then things just got that slightly more exciting. south africa is battling with the control of baboons in and around cape town. imagine the chaos of football fans fighting primates. or is there even a difference?

Just police training for next summer?

 

[Benny Seagull]

i think rspca would have something to say about that.

 

[Easy 10]

As an aside, has anyone seen how CHILLY its going to be at the World Cup ?
Check out the PINK line for the average temperatures in Cape Town. Could be even COLDER in Jo'burg and Durban.

Pack some woolies.

 

[Gully]

I was at Cape Point in March and saw baboons steal stuff from a car in the car park and rob a small child of his ice cream...they are pretty nasty and anything seems fair game.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

I wonder if the OSTRICHES at Cape Point will make their way up too?

 

[GNF on Tour]

They should employ the baboons as stewards, bit like they do in Brighton.

 

[KZNSeagull]

As an aside, has anyone seen how CHILLY its going to be at the World Cup ?
Check out the PINK line for the average temperatures in Cape Town. Could be even COLDER in Jo'burg and Durban.

Pack some woolies.

Durban and Joburg will be hotter than tha Cape during the day, but will be colder at night. Temperature often drops to zero or lower at night in the highveld, not so low in Durban. Where I am in the Natal Midlands (about 1.5 hours inland from Durban), the temp drops below 0 during June and July every night. Suggest you take daily Vitamin C tablets or similar as the difference in temperature between day and night will be 20 degrees plus. It also gets dark and cold very quickly here, so if going out late afternoon, take warm clothes with you.

So yes, you need some woolies and definately a rain coat if you are going to the Cape!! South African establishments are not big on decent heating, by the way!!

Also watch out for Vervet Monkeys (little white ones with black faces) - they will be in your hotel room or whatever like a shot given half a chance!! Not as nasty as Baboons, but just as destructive.

 

[Northstander]

Anyone going should watch out for the Baboons, I have seen first hand how they can attack....its not good, dangerous little F***ers!!

Weather over world cup will be like our Spring or early summer but maybe with rain!

 

[rcf0712]

Just police training for next summer?

beat me to it, nice one.....

 

[Trufflehound]

Suggest you take daily Vitamin C tablets or similar as the difference in temperature between day and night will be 20 degrees plus.

I'm curious. What effect does Vitamin C have on your ability to withstand temperature fluctuations? I've not heard of this before. (I'd have thought dressing appropriately would do the job.)

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Farmers manage to shoot targets the size of rabbits..........

 

[KZNSeagull]

I'm curious. What effect does Vitamin C have on your ability to withstand temperature fluctuations? I've not heard of this before. (I'd have thought dressing appropriately would do the job.)

It doesn't, but it can help in the prevention of colds and flu etc.

That is what I have found anyway - as soon as winter comes along, because I am used to a climate that does not have huge temperature variations, then I was getting colds all the time. Once I started taking Vit C, I rarely get them now. Just a suggestion as us Brits are used to central heating etc etc which is a rarity here.

The biggest temp variation I have experienced was June this year. It was -13 overnight, about -6 at 6:30am but by 11am it was 24.

 

[Buzzer]

We used to have terrible problems with baboons when I lived in palaborwa up near the Mozambique border. Evil fuckers who would break into your house given half a chance. I once saw them attack hyenas and win. That takes some doing, I can tell you

 

[tricky]

Phalaborwa - no way! Thats where my girlfriend is from. She claims that if it wasn't for her dads gun she would've been violated by some randy baboons.

 

[Ian Bairds Fist]

Durban and Joburg will be hotter than tha Cape during the day, but will be colder at night. Temperature often drops to zero or lower at night in the highveld, not so low in Durban. Where I am in the Natal Midlands (about 1.5 hours inland from Durban), the temp drops below 0 during June and July every night. Suggest you take daily Vitamin C tablets or similar as the difference in temperature between day and night will be 20 degrees plus. It also gets dark and cold very quickly here, so if going out late afternoon, take warm clothes with you.

So yes, you need some woolies and definately a rain coat if you are going to the Cape!! South African establishments are not big on decent heating, by the way!!

Also watch out for Vervet Monkeys (little white ones with black faces) - they will be in your hotel room or whatever like a shot given half a chance!! Not as nasty as Baboons, but just as destructive.

Thanks for the advice. We're going to be based in Pretoria (mainly due to the central location and ease of getting to about 8 of the 10 grounds) and I understand its going to be really cold but not too wet? Apparently they get hardly any rain during June/July. Would it be asking too much to expect sunny days too??!

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

Phalaborwa - no way! Thats where my girlfriend is from. She claims that if it wasn't for her dads gun she would've been violated by some randy baboons.

I'm going to Phalaborwa soon, can't wait!

 

[tricky]

Yep, its great being so close to the kruger. I think i've seen more elephants around phalaborwa than actually in the park. Its also good to head south to God's window and the white lion project. We were thinking of renting out the house and flat in phalaborwa for the world cup as it might make a good base for games in jo'burg and pretoria but also the game parks up there.

 

[KZNSeagull]

Thanks for the advice. We're going to be based in Pretoria (mainly due to the central location and ease of getting to about 8 of the 10 grounds) and I understand its going to be really cold but not too wet? Apparently they get hardly any rain during June/July. Would it be asking too much to expect sunny days too??!

The South African definition of really cold is not the same as the British definition! Temps of 15 degrees are described on the Weather forecast as "ridiculously cold" or "freezing"!!

Unless something unusual happens, you can expect sunny days, temps of high teens, low twenties, very little if any rain, but it will be cold at night (approaching or below 0). So, could be shorts and T shirt during the day, layers at night.

 

[Trufflehound]

It doesn't, but it can help in the prevention of colds and flu etc.

Ah... That makes more sense.