Wildlife Protection Agency Western Cape

19/08/2025

Breaking News❗️

John Hume, the South African who bred the world’s biggest rhino herd, has been arrested on charges of smuggling of the endangered animals’ horns.

19/08/2025

Interest

18/08/2025

Some pertinent and important questions posed in the article hereunder.

❗️ Science Based Urban Baboon
Mismanagement
Program ?

After spending approximately R120 million on a Program that CapeNature on various occasions stated is "underpinned by two decades of scientific research", approximately 120 protected Western Cape Chacma Baboons, that formed part of this Program, is up for proposed removal.

This science-based Program has not rendered the implementation of mitigating strategies successfully or at all, other than the Ranger Programme to manage individual troops which has not been without its ups and downs. A programme which offered little strategy to prevent troops 'splitting'.

The excuses proffered for the removal are inter alia attractants in the urban area of human derived food waste, fruit trees and compost heaps of residents.

Other excuses proffered are carrying capacity and welfare concerns.

We are aware that Baboon proof bins, Law Enforcement and Education forms part of this science-based management, however never implemented wholly or at all.

We also note that the Service Providers Reports of the last 10 years plus do not refer to concerns regarding carrying capacity, nor do they discuss troop population increases with a view to solutions, or extensive welfare concerns. Waste was the key factor most mentioned in these reports.

We are also aware that in certain troops numbers will increase due to their regular access to human derived food waste, one of the concerns that this science-based management had to address via mitigation and other measures proposed over many years but not implemented. In the scientists/experts own words: "Provisioned baboons have more offspring in their lifetime than natural feeding Baboons." The difference between provisioning and allowing baboons to regularly feed from bins, is that provisioning can be controlled away from the Urban Area and provide for natural food sources, reduce nuisance, damage and exposure to pathogens.

Having regard to the aforementioned it now seems that a Troop that occupied a range for more than or at least 20 years and formed part of the scientific management program, said home range is all of a sudden now too small and as such the whole Troop is up for removal. Why is this the case if the Management was "underpinned by scientific research"?

Is this the scientific-based management funded by Ratepayers that CapeNature was referring to where mitigation is not implemented and removal is the solution? If it is, then it is entirely unjustifiable to consider removals.

Surely the Draft Action Plan on this basis cannot withstand scrutiny and needs to implement non-lethal solutions which have been discussed for decades and not implemented.

You decide!

03/08/2025

It is as if the writer quoted our Constitution 👇

Our Authorities Constitutional obligations in respect of the environment are not new or novel, it is Internationally recognized.

Approaches vary in terms of who is filing the lawsuit, against whom, and whether it is based on protecting human rights or the rights of the environment itself.

20/07/2025

Constitutional Duty

❗️ view❗️


Baboon /Human Conflict

Baboons, including other wildlife, are managed in Trust for current and future generations. In other words for all Citizens of South Africa.

In terms of Section 24(a) and (b) of the Constitution, we as Citizens of South Africa have the right to an environment that is not harmful to our health and wellbeing, and to have the environment protected for current and future generations.
These rights are immediate rights and not realisable over time.

To give effect to these rights the Constitution provides that the Authorities, being City of Cape Town, CapeNature and SANParks enforce "reasonable Legislation and other measures".

Reasonable Legislation is for instance Bylaws in respect of waste and animals, as well as Acts in relation to Environmental Management, Waste Management, Nature Conservation and Biodiversity to name but a few, which Acts inter alia, provide for Rehabilitation, Protection and Conservation.

Other measures as provided for by the Constitution includes Management Plans and Policies.

The various adopted Baboon Management Plans over the last 25 years gives effect to the Constitutional duty imposed on the Authorities to create a safe and protected environment. Management Plans inter alia providing for mitigation to protect Citizens and Baboons.

However, "reasonable Legislation" will only be effective in as far as it is being enforced and Management Plans and Policy in as far as it is being implemented wholly.

It is therefore incumbent on the Authorities to create a safe and protected environment not only for all Citizens but also the Western Cape Chacma Baboons.

Authorities, enforce your reasonable Legislation and implement the mitigating solutions as provided for by your Management Plans to give effect to your Constitutional duty!

17/07/2025

Are we DEVELOPING, without mitigation, the Chacma Baboon out of Cape Town? You decide!

09/07/2025

Disa river Hout Bay today, and the smell is horrific!

08/07/2025

Human Wildlife Conflict "HWC"

The National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act of 2004 "Nemba" inter alia provides for protection and conservation of Biodiversity.

In terms of Nemba it is incumbent on the Minister to cause research to be conducted inter alia for the assessment of strategies and techniques for Biodiversity Conservation.

In the Western Cape extensive research has been conducted for more than 2 decades to mitigate and reduce HWC. The strategies and techniques identified were incorporated into various management plans over the years in respect of management of the Cape Peninsula Chacma Baboons, a protected species on the Peninsula.

Notwithstanding such strategies and techniques being identified, researched, agreed, adopted and incorporated into management plans, such strategies and techniques have never been implemented wholly or at all, and ultimately leading to the escalation of HWC.

16/06/2025

Are the City of Cape Town, Sanparks and CapeNature discharging their Constitutional obligations in terms of Section 24 of the Constitution of South Africa in creating a safe and protected environment by enforcing reasonable legislation and other measures?

15/05/2025

❗️Statutory Duties❗️

Authorities be careful in not discharging your Statutory and Constitutional obligations.

11/05/2025

27/04/2025

SANParks - Table Mountain National Park how is this open access Park working out?

Overnight camping, defacing of natural assets, destruction of habitat, poaching and muggings.

Why must the COCT infrastructure and Ratepayers contributions be utilized for your utter incompetence taking into account your approximate R290 million income a year from Table Mountain National Park.