Likely killing of four male baboons in Cape Town causes chaos, trauma

On a scorching Wednesday in Cape Town, two baboon troops careened out of their territories to mingle on the edge of Table Mountain and Constantia.

The disappearance — suspected killing — of four males in succession from the smaller troop has left them in disarray and grieving the loss of four babies, said Samantha Hodgson, co-director of Baboon Watch Western Cape (WC).

The chaos was triggered by the missing males, she said. None of the bodies — of alphas Quinton, Knoppies and Alfie, and male Madala — have been found since Quinton, who loved juveniles, went missing on October 28 from the troop known as CT2.

I just heard the gunshot coming down and I never saw Madala again.

—  Mzukizi Nkewu, Baboon monitors team leader

“I know and care about every one of them. When we lose one, I feel bad because they are like my family,” said Benson Chipasula, team leader of three monitors protecting the troop in the heat. They were trying to slow down cars on Rhodes Drive with flags as members of both troops bounded across Rhodes Drive into the forest.

This troop is vulnerable without an alpha and Vetkop, a powerful male from the CT1 troop in Constantia, was among those that hurtled up to it on Wednesday in response to Sassy, a female in oestrus, barking for a mate.

Safe from traffic, some of them played or kept watch in the pine trees, one tried to sip water from a patch of damp leaves and the others went into the shade.

“Two males from CT1 were there, but I didn’t get to count how many young ones came along,” said Bonita Francklin, co-director of Baboon Watch WC and joint manager of the CT2 troop.

Within an hour, however, some members of the depleted troop — who usually forage and roost in Cecilia Forest on the mountain — were exiting their territory to cross the road, with the other troop heading towards their turf.

Lorenzo Sias, supervisor of the CT1 troop for NCC Environmental Services, which is also responsible for three big troops in Tokai of about 100, came to observe the interactions between the two Constantia troops.

Two more babies from the leaderless troop are now at risk of infanticide from the next alpha — and his own life will be in danger if somebody is criminally targeting these males. Shots were heard around the time Knoppies and Madala vanished, said Hodgson, who jointly manages this troop of 15.

“I just heard the gunshot coming down and I never saw Madala again,” said Mzukizi Nkewu, the other team leader of the monitors. Just before Alfie disappeared, he heard baboons screaming, he said.

All the humans protecting the baboons are traumatised by the death of the males and the infants: Tainy, Surprise (Sassy’s son), a newborn infant and Landy.

When Alfie came in, he targeted Landy — as happens in nature — after which her mother Lydia did her best to keep her alive by carrying her everywhere and grooming her bitten tail. Lydia was subsequently darted so that Landy could be euthanised by the wildlife vet and she died on January 16, the day before Alfie vanished, said Hodgson.

Jenni Trethowan of the Baboon Matters Trust said residents of the leafy streets where the males are being targeted must know something about what happened.

“There is a specific area which they go through and when they come out, one of the males is missing,” she said, certain they must be dead.

“If they were hit by a car or poisoned we would find a body. I can't understand that nobody knows anything,” added Trethowan, calling for investigation by law enforcement and CapeNature.