A criminal case has been opened by the Good Hope SPCA following the shooting and subsequent death of a chacma baboon in Bel Ombre in late September.
The organisation has laid charges under the Animals Protection Act relating to the ‘horrific suffering’ the baboon experienced, in addition to charges under the Firearms Control Act for the use of a firearm in a residential area and the Nature Conservation Ordinance for the unlawful hunting of a protected species
“Even though we were alerted to the shooting, we were shocked to find her like that,” said SPCA Chief Inspector Jaco Pieterse.
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The SPCA had to call in the services of a wildlife veterinarian to the scene to have the baboon darted and sedated before the animal could be examined.
“The severity of the trauma she experienced and the area of injury made euthanasia the most humane option,” added Pieterse.
A full post-mortem was also conducted at the Cape of Good Hope SPCA where a penetrating wound to the baboon’s chest was found and a small calibre bullet was removed from the muscle adjacent to the spine.
The bullet had penetrated the lobe of the baboon’s right lower lung. The examination also found several pellets – believed to have been fired from an airgun rifle (better known as a pellet gun) – in various parts of the animal’s body.
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Photo: Cape{town}Etc Library