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www.thevillagenews.co.za
22 July 2020
PHOTO: Overstrand Municipality
PHOTO: Jannie Malherbe
The generous rain over the last few weeks brought with it a boost for the dams in the Western Cape. It also allowed both the Klein River (left) and Kleinmond (right) estuaries to breach. It is the first time in five years that the Klein River broke through to the ocean. The breaching of lagoons is essential for the health of the ocean, estuaries and several animal species that live there. A breaching is often accompanied by a stench as the water carves its way to the sea. This is because of the build-up of sand and mud in the estuary, in which there is little oxygen and where anaerobic processes take place. As the mud starts moving to the ocean the smell is released.
Baboon management must be strict Writer De Waal Steyn
as all ‘authentic’ wild animals should,” she said.
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This follows the announcement by the municipality that Human Wildlife Solutions (HWS) has been appointed for the next three years to manage the Baboon Programme in towns in the Overstrand that are faced with human-baboon conflict. This management programme includes the use of virtual fence technology and baboon monitors.
he Hermanus Baboon Action Group (HBAG) has once again called on residents and visitors to behave responsibly in their interactions with baboons. “The Hermanus troops have an abundance of all their natural foraging foods available in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve and they play an essential role in the ecosystem of the reserve through mainly seed dispersal,” said HBAG spokesperson Pat Redford. According to her, the preservation of this remarkable, highly adaptable and opportunistic species lies in ensuring they live safely and naturally in the environment where they have existed for hundreds of years.
HWS has two current programmes in the Overstrand – the virtual fence programme in Hermanus and the baboon monitoring programme in Pringle Bay. According to them, the Virtual Fence Programme will expand in Overstrand East to include the Vogelgat/Voëlklip/Hamilton Russell and Onrus troops, and in Overstrand West to include the Kleinmond/Betty's Bay/ Pringle Bay and Hangklip troops.
“Baboons do not deserve to become roadkill or die a slow and painful death after being poisoned, shot, or mauled by dogs. A multipronged approach to preserving the environment in which they live and preserving the species must be met with stricter refuse management, broader awareness and education at all levels. In HBAG we have been consistent in our efforts, against all odds, to carry out much of this voluntarily, for more than a year. We hope we can enable the troops to live safely with reduced human threat and minimal interaction,
“The final monitoring methods for Overstrand West have not yet been finalised and meetings with interested groups will guide the way forward for the management of these troops. Where troops are being managed for the first time in the programme, the HWS specialist team will firstly monitor the troops to understand their movement patterns, sleeping sites and feeding areas, etc., before the specific methodology of troop management will be implemented,” the company said in a press release.
“Baboons have to learn – after many, many years of raiding – that humans no longer offer easy food. This vital change is only possible if every person plays a part in the management process. The virtual fence strives to make baboons wild animals again, restoring their natural balance,” explained HWS project manager Phil Richardson. Since the implementation of the HWS Virtual Fence in mid-February 2020 in Hermanus, there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of occasions that individuals have left the Voëlklip troop to enter town on their own. In addition, the baboons do not travel as far into town as before. “Baboon troops can cause extensive damage and losses in both urban and agricultural areas. Therefore, it is still critical to reduce opportunistic encounters that draw the animals into town, through correct waste management. Easy access to human food changes the animal’s behaviour from being an urban-edge animal, to one that is addicted to unnatural, high-energy foods which they are not adapted to eat and can cause several health problems such as poor dentition, obesity, and diabetes. Close contact with humans can also lead to the transmission of human diseases,” said Richardson. The virtual fence is an innovative tool to
keep troops in their natural habitat, providing a sustainable, environmental solution to human-wildlife conflict. This non-invasive system works by mimicking natural boundaries and deterrents that the troop is not anxious to cross. The virtual fence creates a perception that there are predators in town, which encourages them to stay away from there and in their natural environment. The smells and sounds initiated through the placement of the virtual fence reproduces the natural smells and sounds generated by predators in the wild and this in turn creates an invisible barrier. In the mountains above Hermanus, these sounds and smells are associated by baboons with actual predators, such as leopards. “The presence of real leopards in the area helps reinforce the threat of predators in the troop’s mind, working alongside the virtual fence. Leopards have a vast range and are probably resident in the mountains for a few weeks at a time, only returning months later. In the interim, the virtual fence will keep their presence, and fear of predation, alive,” said Richardson. The dedicated Voëlklip hotline number for reporting baboons is 071 588 6540. The Pringle Bay Baboon Hotline number is 079 431 5956. Visit www.hermanusbaboons.co.za or follow Facebook @hermanusbaboons or email info@ hermanusbaboons.co.za for further information and tips.
