Another Pringle Bay Baboon Found Deceased

On 17 October 2024, a deceased female baboon was found in Pringle Bay. The body had undergone rigor mortis, and no signs of the cause of death were evident, nor were there any signs of foul play. The body was taken to the veterinarian for a postmortem. Organ tissue samples, as well as stomach contents, were sent for histopathology and toxicology tests, respectively.

– The toxicology tests revealed no poisons or pesticides.

– The postmortem revealed she was pregnant. X-rays revealed five pellets; one in the right arm, one in the abdomen, two in the right leg, and one on the left side of the thoratic cavity. Blood was found in the thoratic cavity, but the cause hereof could not be determined. Only a single possible entry wound was found, on the right arm, but whether this was the entry wound of the pellet in the thoratic cavity could not be concluded. The pellet in the thoratic cavity was removed.

– The histopathology tests on the organs came back as inconclusive, as the cells had already undergone autolytic change, and therefore the timing of the death was older than what we originally expected. Only a single aspirated foreign body fragment was found in the lung, as well as pulmonary pneumoconiosis, a lung disease which develops following inhalation and retention of inorganic dusts, but this pathology was mild and could therefore not be the cause of death.

The histopathology suggests that the most likely source of the thoratic cavity haemorrhage to be traumatic damage to a major artery, but this could not be concluded as no signs of a damaged artery was found during the postmortem.

Whether damage to a major artery or the pellet in the thoracic cavity caused the hemorrhage could not be determined. As a result, the cause of death remains inconclusive. Nevertheless, an enquiry docket has been opened with Kleinmond SAPS, and the pellet from the thoracic cavity is in their possession. Members of the public are urged to contact Kleinmond SAPS at 028 271 8200 with any information that may help identify the perpetrator.

Residents are reminded that Overstrand Municipality has the necessary permits and training to implement an adaptive management plan using non-lethal methods. Baboons are protected by the Nature Conservation Ordinance, making it illegal to harm or shoot them.

Issued by:

Overstrand Municipal Manager, Dean O’Neil