Residents living in baboon-affected areas will soon get a chance to participate in the discussion about a suite of more sustainable proposals, many of which will be community driven to manage the Chacma baboon population on the Cape Peninsula.
This comes after a round table discussion was held this week led by the minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Barbara Creecy along with officials from the City, SANParks and Cape Nature and various interested and affected stakeholders.
At the meeting, the three management authorities agreed to, among others, stablish a task team and work on a sustainable programme for the management of the Chacma baboon population on the Cape Peninsula.
The City said their three-year contract with NCC Environmental Services, who is currently managing the Urban Baboon Programme on the City’s behalf, is coming to an end on 30 June 2023.
Given this end-date, they said, they have conducted a review of programme, which was implemented in 2012 to keep baboons out of the urban areas and in their natural habitat as far as possible.
The review concluded that current measures to
keep baboons out of urban areas are unsustainable in the long-term due to several challenges, including, the growth in the baboon population within the Table Mountain National Park and a shrinking natural habitat.
They said they realised that community involvement and support are pivotal to the success of any such programme going forward and they will be engaging with communities in the upcoming week.
“The outcome of the City’s meetings with residents, businesses, and interested and affected parties, will be presented to the joint Task Team consisting of SANParks, CapeNature, and the City.The Task Team is responsible for developing a sustainable programme with the intention to have this in place, or in progress, by 30 June 2023,” they said.
The City’s initial proposals include the following, and may be expanded following the outcome of the upcoming engagements:
• Work with communities in finding sustainable solutions suitable to each community’s unique circumstances and needs
• The installation of strategic and virtual fences where the environment allows, with permission from SANParks and residents’ support
• Establishing Special Rating Areas (SRAs) in baboon-affected suburbs where the special rates can fund solutions to keep baboons out of the urban area
• To work with SANParks and CapeNature on a Memorandum of Understanding to govern baboon management in the Cape Peninsula.
“The City proposes that under the new programme communities will become directly involved in devising and implementing solutions that are suitable to their unique circumstances. Our intention is to facilitate, support, and guide local solutions for local challenges,” said Deputy mayor, Alderman Eddie Andrews.
“The establishment of a joint Task Team consisting of representatives from all three regulatory authorities is a great accomplishment. I am cautiously optimistic that the commitment from all the stakeholders to work closely together will give us the best possible outcome as we all have a role to play in this space and responsibilities to fulfil,” he said.
Also read:
https://www.capetownetc.com/news/baboons-left-to-run-amok-as-state-bodies-play-the-blame-game/
Picture: Unsplash