The Crisis Before Us
We, the Residents and Ratepayers in the greater Simon’s Town area, from Glencairn Heights in the north to Rocklands in the south, and including Da Gama Park and Red Hill, are deeply concerned about the erosion of our constitutional right to a safe and healthy environment caused by the increasing negative interactions between baboons and humans.
- We have noted that the escalating incidence of human baboon interaction is emboldening the baboons, habituating them to people and to urban areas as sources of food.
- We are concerned that this will move beyond the damage to property that is currently being experienced widely in our area, to more injury to humans and to domestic animals.
- We recognize that chacma baboons in the Cape Peninsula are a protected species.
- We acknowledge that successful management of the baboons will require cooperation among various authorities and ourselves as residents, working together in multiple-pronged approach.
Three authorities — the City of Cape Town, Cape Nature and the Table Mountain National Park —- have joint responsibility for the communal health and safety of the residents of Simon’s Town, for the conservation of baboons and other wildlife in our area and, where necessary for their management.
Our Proposals for Action
We, the Residents and Ratepayers of Simon’s Town, insist that:
(1) Baboons are kept out of the residential areas of Simon’s Town. The presence of baboons in and around our properties poses threats to our health and our safety, and is detrimental the on-going conservation of baboons on the Peninsula.
(2) The three responsible authorities must recognize the crisis that we face in Simon’s Town and must exercise their responsibilities on our behalf. They must accept the seriousness of our situation and understand that we must be a priority area for the use of their financial resources for baboon and human management in Simon’s Town. Other immediate actions must include:
a) Erecting large and appropriate multilingual signage at relevant sites, detailing the penalties for feeding baboons.
b) Deploying law-enforcement personnel at such sites with explicit instructions to fine offenders no matter whether they are visitors, tourists or whoever.
c) Establishing a dedicated phone number to report baboon feeding contraventions.
d) Installing and providing appropriately designed waste management containers and procedures at all sites and in all affected residential areas.
(3) The STCA must send a strong delegation to the Baboon Summit to communicate our real concerns about the baboon crisis that faces Simon’s Town. We urge the STCA to establish the necessary Joint Task Team to work towards achieving Simon’s Town’s objectives in removing the baboon threat.
We also commit ourselves as a Community to taking urgent action in the meantime to alleviate the situation, whilst the Three Authorities plan their long term strategy. To this end, we will assist by:
- Conducting an education campaign among our residents
- Reporting illegal activities such as feeding or shooting baboons, and ineffective securing of food waste.
- Reducing food sources in private properties (eg fruit trees, un-protected vegetable gardens, unsecured compost heaps, unsecured rubbish).
- Cooperating with researchers exploring the most effective means of keeping baboons out of urban areas.
- Monitoring and reporting on the effectiveness of the baboon monitors.
This Resolution is supported by the Residents and Ratepayers of Greater Simon’s Town
Simon’s Town Civic Association Public Meeting, 6 May 2009
