A video of a baboon helping itself to Christmas goodies at a Simon’s Town family in the Cape Peninsula has gone viral on social media.
The tourist hotspot is home to around 600 and roughly 17 troops.
The animals are known for being violent and aggressive when aggravated.
CAPE PENINSULA BABOON TERRORISES FAMILY ON CHRISTMAS DAY
In a video captured by filmmaker Tom Parkinson, a Cape Peninsula baboon is seen running rampant in a relative’s home in Simon’s Town.
The animal – identified as the Cape chacma baboon – raided the house, helping itself to food and valuables. The male baboon even opened Christmas presents, a bag and a drawer!
“Our version of the Grinch”, Tom captioned the clip.
In the comments section, the filmmaker added that the home belonged to his grandmother, who had become accustomed to the wild animals.
He shared: “These baboons are endemic to the area [Cape Peninsula] and can be quite tame with humans. But if aggravated, they can be violent towards humans and dogs. Since my gran lives here, she deals with them constantly and always says to act calm. Otherwise they can get scared, cause damage to your house, and even leave some unwanted droppings everywhere.
He added, “So best to usher them out the way they came in and lock the door.”
CAPTURE AND TRANSLOCATION RELOCATION
Earlier this year, the Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (CPBMJTT), comprising representatives from South African National Parks, Cape Nature, and the City of Cape Town, issued a controversial proposal to translocate the baboon population, whose numbers have exceeded available management resources.
According to the data, the population has increased far beyond management capabilities, placing pressure on available resources.
The proposal includes the following options for the baboon population: translocation for rewilding, capture and removal to an existing sanctuary or to a newly established sanctuary, humane euthanasia, or a combination of these options.
Baboon troops would be removed from the following areas in the Cape Peninsula: Constantia Nek, Kirstenbosch, Constantia Village, Waterfall, Simon’s Town, Seaforth, Murdoch Valley, Welcome Glen, Glencairn, and the Da Gama residential areas.
Local and international experts have been invited to review the proposal and will be included in the project.
In November, the group outlined plans for baboon troops to be captured and relocated to a newly established sanctuary on the peninsula as soon as February.
The animals will be enclosed by a “baboo-proof” fence line, patrolled by rangers using aversion tools, preventing the baboons from accessing urban areas and farmland.
The plan has received backlash from animal activists.
