Paintball guns are likely to be one of the tools used to try to keep baboons out of urban areas under the new management regime that is due to start on Saturday.
This is apparent from a job advertisement placed on the website of an American university last month. It also calls for graduates to help manage the baboons.
The current contract, held for the past three years by NCC Environmental Services, ends on Friday and is due to be replaced with a new contract won by a company trading as Natural Solutions and headed by zoologist and mammal behavioural ecology specialist Dr Phil Richardson.
The contract has not been officially confirmed by the city because the formal 21-day appeal period for unsuccessful tenderers only ends on Friday.
However, the city of Cape Town is preparing a statement, and yesterday Richardson told the Cape Argus that a joint press release would be issued once the appointment had been formally made and a contract signed.
Last month Richardson was recruiting staff, and in his notice revealed some of the control methods that he apparently intends using.
A copy of the notice, titled “Coolest job ever?”, was posted on the website of the Department of Biology at James Madison University in the US state of Virginia, under a section “Student research opportunities”, early last month. Headed “Notification of intent to employ Wildlife Field Rangers and Supervisors to manage baboons in and around Cape Town”, it reads: “We are looking for about 30 graduates with at least three-year degrees in the biological sciences or diplomas in nature conservation to help manage baboons in Cape Town. Persons with extensive experience and a track record for working in the bush will also be considered.”
The primary objective of the work was to prevent baboons from moving out of the Table Mountain National Park into the surrounding urban areas, it explained. “The work will require an extensive amount of radio tracking to determine where the baboons are and where they are going. Baboons seen to be heading towards town will be met and challenged with various tools including paintball guns.
“A good knowledge of baboon behaviour and animal territoriality will be an advantage. Applicants will need to be able to deal with the public, be good at field work and able to assist in data collection for research.”
The notice said salaries were negotiable, and permanent and temporary posts of at least three months would be available. Applicants would be required to start work on July 1, but the notice added: “This is a provisional notification because the contract is under tender.” - Cape Argus