Baboons Matter....

One of the most fascinating yet misunderstood creatures of the Cape Point Route are the Chacma baboons. There has been a lot of recent media coverage about wandering and roaming baboons so we thought we should find the real story.

Eric the baboon has made many headlines in the past as the disposed Alpha male from Kommetjie’s Slangkop troop of baboons. When dispersing males reach sexual maturity, they leave their natal troop and go in search of new females. Eric left his troop in May 2007 with his son, Anele and went cruising the Cape Point Route. He traveled through Fish Hoek and Clovelly, visited the artsy village of Kalk Bay and roamed through St James to Muizenberg where he spent a week enjoying the rich pickings of this well known seaside town. After his beach holiday he moved back to the mountains and Silvermine Nature Reserve before causing a few disruptions by crossing Ou Kaapseweg during rush hour traffic on his way to Noordhoek. Eric and Anele split up in Noordhoek and Anele has made his way back to Kommetjie but Eric is still discovering the Cape Point Route and is currently in Hout Bay sampling the offerings of this gorgeous town.

Dispersing Alpha male baboons are vulnerable during this searching period which can take about 2 months of journeying. Many people think these lone males are rogue baboons, which is not the case at all. During this lone phase they need to eat, and will weigh up the choice of foraging against the risk of raiding a home for easily available food in return for the more instantaneous reward.

Residents should be aware that baboons will only defend themselves when cornered – either by humans or their dogs and it is advisable to contain their rubbish bins either by using a baboon proof lock or securing their waste disposal in a secure enclosed space e.g. the garage. Do not ever feed a baboon! Should a baboon enter your kitchen, calmly back away and ensure that the baboon has an exit. Don’t try and remove any food from them (would you like someone to take the chocolate bar in your hand?) and one of the most effective methods of chasing the baboon out of your home is to bang loudly on pots.

Residents in living in baboon territories should become more familiar with their natural behaviour patterns. Baboon Matters is an organization dedicated to the conservation and sustainable management of the Southern Peninsula’s Chacma baboons and they are inviting interested residents to join them on a Walking with Baboons excursion which is both informative and fascinating and will most certainly change your perception of these misunderstood primates. The Walking with Baboons experience is found nowhere else on the globe and visitors to the area are enthralled by the encounter. You spend 2 – 3 hours observing the baboons in their natural habitat on the beautiful fynbos mountains of the Southern Peninsula on the Cape Point Route. Residents can call Baboon Matters on 021 782 2015 to book.

Cape Point Route encourages residents of Cape Town to discover the gems on their doorstep, from the sharks to the baboons, from the art to the antiques. We live, work and play in one of the most spectacular destinations on the planet and have the opportunity to have a daily voyage of discovery. Please call the Cape Point Route for suggestions on other enthralling activities and attractions in the area on 021 782 9356 or visit the website: www.capepointroute.co.za