A reward of R8 000 reward has been offered by the Beauty Without Cruelty organisation for any information leading to the prosecution of the person that shot a pregnant female baboon in the Cape Town suburb of Constantia on 25 September, leading to its death.
Picture: Dan Mitler
The SPCA darted the injured baboon and had to euthanise it. In a Facebook post, Jenni Trethowan of Baboon Matters wrote that volunteers on duty had witnessed the female baboon being shot.
‘Yesterday afternoon, volunteers on duty in Constantia witnessed a tragic event when an irate resident shot a young female baboon in the chest. Everyone at the scene, the rescuers from the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, were deeply moved by the way in which Quinton protected his critically injured troop mate. We hope that the killer will be prosecuted to the full amount of the law.
‘There needs to be an immediate response from the City. That baboon troop has lost quite a few of its members now. The city needs to reinstate the monitors.’
In a separate post, Angela Rackstraw of Baboon Matters wrote that the female baboon suffered. ‘She took four hours to die the most agonising death, drowning in her own blood, with each breath being utterly excruciating.’
Toni Brockhoven, the national chairperson of BWC, describes the shooting of the baboon as “despicable”.
‘Over and above the lack of morals and ethics shown, firing a weapon in a residential area is also illegal,’ says Brockhoven. She adds that the incident must be laid at the door of the City of Cape Town “who removed the area monitors.”
‘Leaving a vacuum, dependent on local volunteers to monitor and assist the baboons in a treacherous road area, and resulting in ever more impatient and unreasonable residents to harass and harm the baboons whose behaviour is directly impacted by human lack of respect, leaving litter, unlocked bins and easy access to homes,’ she says.
The incident left residents and activists shocked and angry.
Brockhoven encourages witnesses to contact the SPCA on 021 700 4140. ‘Your tip will be kept anonymous, unless you say otherwise,’ she adds.
Although it isn’t clear what weapon was used, Jaco Pieterse of the SPCA said the person responsible could get a R40 000 fine and or a 12-month imprisonment sentence under the Animal Protection Act.
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