Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC), an animal rights group has announced an R8000 reward for any information that will lead to the arrest of the person who shot and killed an adult female chacma baboon in Constantia, Cape Town, nine days ago.
BWC chairperson, Toni Brockhaven, deemed the shooting an “unacceptable” and “despicable” act and held the City of Cape Town responsible after it removed the rangers that had been assigned to monitor baboons in Constantia in April.
“This incident must be laid at the door of the City of Cape Town which removed the [rangers], leaving a vacuum, dependent of local volunteers to monitor and assist the baboons over a treacherous road area, and resulting in ever more impatient and unreasonable residents to harass and harm the baboons,” wrote Brockhaven on Facebook.
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According to two “baboon angels” of Tokai Baboon Action Group, Bonita Franklin and Gerry Higgs, a troop of baboons entered a property on Monterey Drive. Thereafter, sounds of glass breaking and what sounded like the discharge of a gun was heard, reports News24.
This scared the baboons off and the two saw that the female baboon appeared injured and in pain.
Four rangers, the National Conservation Consultants (NCC) and the Cape of Good Hope SPCA arrived on the scene. The female baboon was then darted and transported to a facility.
Jaco Pieterse of the SPCA said it is still unclear whether a pellet gun or normal .22 was used to shoot the baboon. The female was pregnant at the time and died “due to the extent of the injuries”.
According to Pieterse, this offence is punishable with a R40 000 fine and/or a 12-month imprisonment sentence under the Animal Protection Act
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Picture: Unsplash