KVET PRESS RELEASE FRIDAY 25 AUGUST 2023
This press release is a direct response to the statement sent out by Overstrand Municipal Manager Dean O’Neill at 5pm on Friday 25th August 2023. Please read the statements in conjunction for clarity and write directly to the list of officials provided at the beginning of the KVET statement.
Statement by Dean O’Neill:
25 August 2023: Update on the Pringle Bay baboons Overstrand Municipality received numerous complaints about rogue baboons in Pringle Bay.
According to residents, there is one male baboon in particular, called Blue Tag, that has been habituated to such an extent that he no longer displays any fear of humans. Residents are “robbed” of their shopping as they exit shops, and some have experienced minor injuries after tussles with Blue Tag.
It has been established earlier in the year that Blue Tag is not a native of the Pringle Bay troop and migrated from its natal troop in Gordon’s Bay earlier in this year.
The Municipality is currently liaising with the relevant officials at the City of Cape Town to capture Blue Tag and to return him to his natal troop, in accordance with the G04 – Guidelines for Dispersing/Displaced male baboon(s) in Urban Areas.
At this time, we would also like to report that HKM1 has moved to Silversands troop on 9 August, and we have had no interaction with this male since it has moved. It was originally from the larger Hangklip troop, but we have no evidence of current raiding behaviour from it in the towns of Bettys Bay or Pringle Bay.
REM1 has become the Alpha male of the PB troop and although it is raiding in the CBD and residential areas and is teaching the juveniles these raiding traits, it will be very unwise to remove the Alpha male from the troop. This will disrupt the social structure of the troop and there is no known male at this point that can take over from REM1 in the position of Alpha male. The Municipality will keep a watchful eye on it, but not remove the baboon at this stage.
Residents in towns where baboons are known to be present are once again reminded that it is an offense to feed baboons. Also do not interfere with our staff working with the baboons and refrain from treating these wild animals as pets or family members.
Issued by: Overstrand Municipal Manager, Dean O’Neill
KVET RESPONSE:
DA Premier Alan Winde: winde@westerncape.gov.za
DA Minister of Local Government Affairs and Government Planning Anton Bredell: anton.bredell@westerncape.gov.za
DA Mayor Annelie Rabie, Mayor Overstrand: annelierabie@overstrand.gov.za; akorver@overstrand.gov.za
Municipal Manager Dean O’Neill: mm@overstarnd.gov.za Infrastructure, Planning and Environmental Issues Steven Muller: smuller@overstrand.gov.za
OM Senior Environmental Manager Liezl de Villiers: ldevilliers@overstrand.gov.za
OM Project Manager Baboon Management Plan Jill Hendriks: projectmanagerbmp@overstrand.gov.za
DA Ward Counsellor Theresa Els: tels@overstrand.gov.za
On December 23rd 2022, Overstrand Municipality sent out a statement declaring the removal/ relocation of 4 Pringle Bay “dispersing” male baboons.
KVET, a non profit, community-based project responded by sending out a worldwide press release to halt this action.
The EMS Foundation for the “advancement and protection of the rights and general welfare of wild animals, children, elderly persons and other vulnerable groups in South Africa and Africa for the purpose of alleviating suffering” received said press release and in itself responded with a Cease and Desist.
Until tonight’s statement there have been months of communications from KVET members requesting a meeting between KVET and OM to work together for the best interests of the residents of the villages and the various baboon troops. 2 weeks ago KVET was informed that communication between KVET and OM was closed and that no meeting could take place. This decision was mailed directly to KVET from the DA Ward Counsellor.
However, a group called Rewild Pringle Bay Baboons, (a group who would like ALL baboons removed, euthanised or kept out of the urban edge 100% of the time), of which our DA Ward Councillor is a member, managed to get a face-to-face meeting with Mayor Rabie and 4 constituents only weeks ago.
Mayor Rabie reiterated that no baboon would be euthanised or removed “ON HER WATCH” much to the horror of the group of attendees from the anti baboon group.
An agreement was made that baboons would be kept out of the urban edge 80-90% of the time but absolutely no methodology or verifiable data collection methods were discussed.
In the meantime, since April 2023 the KVET BIO (Baboon Information Officer) Program has been present in the CBD area of Pringle Bay on a daily basis. This program was set up to focus on the shop raids and the various complaints about food grabs from baboons, in particular “Blue Tag”, in the CBD. Today Blue Tag is extremely infrequently entering the CBD.
There is however no acknowledgement that over the past 5 months there are almost no food grabs let alone baboons nor “Blue Tag’ coming into the village centre? Where is the acknowledgement that the Overstrand Eco Rangers do nothing to stop any food grabs (just like HWS previously) but that the KVET BIO’s have single handedly brought the CBD back to a peaceful place to shop and stroll around in. The “Black Bag Shopping Initiative” has also helped many residents and visitors alike, understand that this is a baboon declared area and care must be taken with carrying visible food around.
KVET has kept a daily log collecting data of all baboon movements, incursions and food grabs but are unable to show this data to OM for lack of a transparent meeting. It seems that OM is not impartial and have only one agenda and that is to get votes and will make false statements to get those. It must be noted that “Blue Tag” did not arrive in Pringle Bay in 2023 as mentioned in the above statement by our Municipal Manager. He arrived in July/ August of 2022. He has therefore long passed the threshold of the G04 guidelines for dispersing/ displaced male baboon(s). He is now a resident of Pringle Bay. He is often seen integrating with the Pringle Bay troop as well as the Hangklip troop. There is video evidence of him mating with females and is therefore possibly father to one or some of the babies born in both troops in 2023. ANY ACTION TO REMOVE HIM UNDER THE G04 GUIDELINES IS NO LONGER APPLICABLE.
It should also be noted that “Blue Tag” has never been seen nor reported to have entered a residence or shop. He does however spend a lot of time at the Pringle Bay dump site. This is a waste management issue and not a baboon issue.
Statements referring to and regarding the term “interference” have been taken seriously by KVET and a definition of the word “interference” has been requested on numerous occasions to ensure that no person, resident or BIO working with KVET intervenes with any baboon management program of the Overstrand Municipality. To date no definition or explanation has been given. It is KVET’s understanding that all public area’s are accessible to all persons and residents of the Overstrand and therefore no laws are being broken nor is any “interference” of any kind taking place.
We, KVET, The Kogelberg Villages Environmental Trustees, once again, publicly, request an urgent meeting with the relevant parties of OM to discuss the baboon management plan in the Overstrand Villages.
