Monkey business linked to lack of water

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The Peninsula’s baboon population had grown from 354 at the end of last year to 365 at the end of February a 3.1 percent increase in two months. Picture: Jeffrey Abrahams

Cape Town – Baboons must have constant access to water, and if artificial water points are not provided for them in summer, they will continue to visit urban areas to drink – and raid – warn baboon monitors.

Two water tanks were established for the baboons in the Table Mountain National Park about 13 years ago, but because the one above Ocean View was repeatedly vandalised, it was not maintained.

The second, above Slangkop, was damaged by fire and has not been replaced.

Providing artificial water points is against current SA National Parks’ national policy. However, the parks authority has asked the baboon monitors to collect detailed data on all occasions when and where the Slangkop baboon troop drank during February.

“These data will soon be sent to SANParks research department and may hopefully persuade them to change their minds,” says the February monthly report of the company holding the baboon monitoring and management contract, Human Wildlife Solutions.

Principal Dr Phil Richardson writes in the report: “(A) factor which is becoming increasingly evident as being a primary force responsible for raiding by baboons, is water. Access to water, particularly during the hot, dry summer months, is obligatory for baboons.

“Therefore, if they cannot find water out of town, they will come to town to find it and almost nothing will stop them… Once they were in town they would drink and then raid.”

An artificial water point has been established with the permission of the owners on the Kompanjiestuin property adjoining Ocean View, a property that has been approved for development.

This is just below one of the troops’ night roosting sites.

“It is hoped that by supplying the troop with water (here) it will negate the need for the troop to visit the Solole Reserve and cross Kommetjie Road. This, in turn, will hopefully reduce the raiding of Capri and Imhoff’s Gift (urban areas),” the report says.

Richardson said his teams’ successes with using paintball guns to date had not been so much in moving baboons out of town, but in keeping them out and not allowing them back.

“(But) without a very large buffer area and/or many more rangers, this task becomes almost impossible if the baboons are very thirsty and their only source of water is in town. It’s for this reason that we strongly recommend water tanks being provided to all baboon troops which do not have easy access to water out of the urban areas.”

He said the Peninsula’s baboon population had grown from 354 at the end of last year to 365 at the end of February – a 3.1 percent increase in two months.

But this rapid growth was not likely to continue through the winter, he added. – Cape Argus

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