Seven baboons have been killed since permits were granted to Constantia farms Klein Constantia and Buitenverwachting, which had been repeated targets of their raiding.
Marietjie Engelbrecht, spokesperson for CapeNature – the Western Cape's conservation authority – told News24 that two year-long permits were granted last October "as a last resort" to the two farms in question.
All farmers in the Western Cape may apply to CapeNature for a permit to kill wildlife that damage their property and adversely impact on their livelihoods.
"The applicants were able to prove that they have implemented multiple non-lethal mitigation measures over a number of years to try and prevent the continued damage to vineyards and infrastructure without success, and experienced extensive losses," said Engelbrecht.
She insisted that the permits were not in any way for recreational hunting and that extensive evaluation procedures took place before they were granted.
Nevertheless, a conservation expert has sounded a cautionary note.
"The local vineyards in Cape Town have invested hugely in game fencing and aversive conditioning for many years as non-lethal options to prevent baboons from damaging their crops and infrastructure," Professor Justin O'Riain, director of the University of Cape Town's Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, told News24.
"Unfortunately, baboons are the most artful of all dodgers and successfully overcome most deterrents."
O'Riain emphasised that the shooting of a baboon did not solve the problem.
"When the baboons get shot; the others do get a huge fright; they leave the area, but they learn to avoid that particular hunter. When the hunter is absent they will return for the rich pickings.
"If the farmer has tried all the non-lethal options and still suffers damage, provided the farmer removes the damage-causing animal, then he/she may experience some short-term relief."
Asked whether it was a good idea, he said: "It is a distant second to non-lethal methods."
Agi Orfanos, from Blouberg, writing to the Cape Times, says: Living in Cape Town is starting to feel like living in hell. Traffic, high taxes and tariffs as opposed to income, crime, grime, expensive drops of water, bad beach management, disgusting, filthy city centre.
"Now baboons can be hunted and killed. It’s part of Cape Town heritage. I haven’t heard one pleasant thing in over half a year about Cape Town.
"I have so often taken tourists around and one of their highlights was baboon spotting above even Chapman's Peak or the Waterfront. Museums played no significance but the baboons always proved a hit.
"The City of Cape Town should put a stop to this immediately. It’s a universal disgrace and I think the whole world needs to know about this."
Source: News24