By Karen Breytenbach
The SPCA is to investigate how a pack of dogs came to kill David, the civilisation-savvy Tokai baboon moved to Limietberg Nature Reserve last month.
The nine-year-old baboon apparently scavenged for food at two farm houses 18km from where he was released, and fled into a tree when a foreman tried to chase him off a farm.
The foreman then cut down the tree. Four dogs and the baboon engaged in a fight to the death, resulting in the baboon dying on the scene and the dogs having to be taken to an animal hospital.
| 'David was first seen in Tokai and Claremont in April' |
Cape Nature has offered to pay the R2 500 veterinary bill.
David was first seen in Tokai and Claremont in April, probably after leaving his troop to find a mate or being expelled by the troop's alpha male.
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The SPCA took him into its care three times this year before transferring him to the Cape Crow (Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife) in Barrydale.
After his subsequent release in the Cape Peninsula he was found scouting in the southern suburbs again, and was then transferred to Limietberg in the Dutoitskloof Mountains.
"For us it is a bit of a sad story," said SPCA director Allan Perrins. "His untimely and horrible death is heartbreaking."
| 'SPCA would investigate whether David had indeed been killed by the dogs' |
The SPCA would investigate whether David had indeed been killed by the dogs, whether cutting down the tree was in the baboon's best interests and whether farmers in the area had been alerted and sensitised to the fact that an errant Peninsula baboon had been relocated to their area.
"There are many ways to handle a problem. There are baboon-friendly communities and baboon unfriendly communities," Perrins said.
Cape Nature Biodiversity Director, Kas Hamman, said no one would be prosecuted for the killing.
"The relocation was an experiment that was done with good intentions, but it didn't work. Cape Nature will definitely think twice before doing something like this again," Hamman said.
Nature conservation authorities have in the past been reluctant to relocate habituated baboons to areas outside their genetic territory, for fear of spreading disease or causing havoc.
"These sorts of experiments are very rarely successful. You can't easily relocate a wild animal to a strange territory," Hamman said.
Cape Nature had made inquiries and was satisfied with information that attempts had been made to chase the baboon off the farm, but that it would not leave and had become aggressive, said Limietberg Assistant Manager Nicolaas Swarts.
One dog had serious head injuries, another was hurt on its rump and legs, and the other two had less serious leg injuries. They were in hospital for one day, said Swarts.
David's body was sent to Cape Nature's Scientific Service for his medical history to be explored.
Perrins said the SPCA would not consider the move a failure and it would seal the fate of other errant baboons.
- This article was originally published on page 3 of Cape Times on June 12, 2007
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