On Monday morning someone posted on SANParks inquiring why she found a baboon and her baby trapped in a cage at Tamboti rest camp, the original poster was distressed because one of the staff workers informed her that these baboons would be eliminated. This caused an uproar on social media.
Not soon after the comment section of the post blew up with assumptions, some users were confused of why people were so upset because people often complain on the same platform about the baboon problem in the rest camps, while others were assuming the worst for the outcome of the baboon.
Baboons are real problem around camps, we often stay at Tamboti and we can confirm that the baboons roam around the camp looking for food, often times they will raid your camp for any scraps of food, and they will even empty the dustbins looking for any trace of food. The one afternoon while staying at Skukuza, we got back from an afternoon drive and we found that the baboon had ripped our tent open and had stolen the milk and other food items from the fridge and when we parked we could see the baboon sitting on our patio eating sugar out of the container.
Often times rangers will trap animals and relocate them a different place, to keep the animal safe as well as the visitors and this is the best solution.
Read the article of animals found inside Kruger camps here.
SANParks confirmed yesterday as well as this morning that the rangers did not in any way harm the baboons, but they safely relocated them. Some users were still adamant that SANParks rangers were harming the baboons, even though SANParks confirmed a few times that the baboons were safe and sound.
Baboons cause a lot of mess and breakage cost around camps, additionally to creating potential disease, threats of the baboons harming humans is a real concern, therefore moving them to a different area would only help the baboon and the visitors stay safe.
Baboons wouldn’t be problems around camp if people wouldn’t feed them or leave any food for them to find, there are signs around camp informing visitors of this.
SANParks and their rangers know what they are doing and we should let them do their job.