Cape Town seeks funding to control baboons

Cape Town's city authorities plan to go to court to seek funding to establish a control programme for its baboons, known for their aggressive behaviour and vandalism of residential property and cars.

The city's mayor Dan Plato said his department was left with no choice after failing to receive adequate funding from provincial government and the parks authorities to employ monitors to guide the baboon troops away from humans.

The city's has allocated R4.4million to the monitor programme since last year while the relevant national and provincial bodies have provided R1.4 million.

The city has requested a percentage from the fees paid by tourists to the principal visitor venues to meet the costs of the monitors, which they argue is the most effective way of dealing with the protected species.

In recent times, authorities have faced increasing problems from the Cape's baboons who have taken to consuming the fruit of the area's many vineyards, with the sauvignon blanc grapes being their favourite.

Baboons in captivity have been known to live up to 45 years, while in the wild their life expectancy is about 30 years.