“UCT’s Baboon Research Unit (BRU) has paved the way for the Cape Peninsula’s baboon population to be elevated from the status of a little known, much maligned population to one that may prove to be the benchmark for the successful management and conservation of primates in conflict with humans,”
says Onno Huyser, Manager of the Table Mountain Fund, an associated trust of WWF South Africa.

After more than 350 years of being threatened by habitat erosion, urban sprawl and agricultural activities, baboons and their habitat could soon be under less threat, thanks to the University of Cape Town’s BRU who created digital maps showcasing this species home range. These maps have been accepted by Strategic Environmental Management Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (DEAD&P) in the Western Cape and the City of Cape Town, meaning that both of the authorities responsible for land use and development in the Cape Peninsula are now equipped with information about current baboon landscape requirements.

The maps form part of a PhD study conducted by Tali Hoffman under the supervision of Dr Justin O’ Riain who heads up the BRU. The study was funded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) through its associated trust, the Table Mountain Fund (TMF) and SANParks.

Hoffman says: “This project is the first population-level study of primates to be conducted at such a fine-scale and has important conservation implications for all wildlife populations that are being displaced through habitat loss and fragmentation.”

Thousands of hours were spent collecting data in the field as well as sourcing data from GPS-tracking collars. Together these produced over 25 000 GPS points which were used to build the baboon home range maps.

While these maps may not prevent further erosion of natural habitats, they do allow for all interested and affected parties to have their say on future transformation of baboon home ranges. According to Hoffman, the involvement of land authorities at this level of baboon management could be the single most important piece of the baboon conservation puzzle on the Cape Peninsula.

“If developers can motivate to the authorities why urban areas should sprawl further into existing natural areas then they must do this with the new ‘baboon layer’ in mind. These maps effectively empower the baboons by empowering the authorities that are ultimately responsible for their management,” says Hoffman.

Five years ago managers of the Cape Peninsula baboon population were in the dark on basic information such as whether the number of baboons was increasing or decreasing. The inception of the Baboon Research Unit is thus arguably one of the most important events in the history of managing the Peninsula baboons. In five years, studies conducted by the unit have provided management with data on the population dynamics, genetics, parasites, spatial ecology, marine foraging, the monitor programme and measures to mitigate human-baboon conflict on the Peninsula.

Hoffman adds: “For too long we have assumed that baboons will be fine as long as there are mountains for them to hide in. The maps provided by this study tell a very different story and warn that failure to protect suitable low lying habitats within areas currently exploited by baboons will result in elevated human-baboon conflict. These maps therefore provide an important step in preventing an escalation of conflict and furthermore recognize baboons as part of the Peninsula landscape.”

You can read the Great Primate Handshake’s interview with Tali Hoffman here.

A few months ago the management protocol on the Cape for dispersing male baboons was that if any male entered the urban space three times, he would be euthanized. The Baboon Management Trust decided that the ruling was too harsh – that of course all males will eventually enter the urban space three times, systematically leading to the extinction of all males from this population. The protocol was revised, which included relocation (in Bart’s case) to a troop with an opening for a new male. The protocol now allows for numerous relocations, however with the cost amounting to roughly 10,000 Rand to transfer a baboon across the Cape, there are only so many relocations available to specific baboons before a more permanent solution is proposed.

The decision is ultimately left to the Wildlife Advisory Committee. They oversee all wildlife throughout South Africa, and using Bart as an example, the committee has decided that as he has displayed no interest in integration with other troops despite numerous efforts, the only option left is euthanasia. With four other male baboons currently being tracked having dispersed and being spotted in urban areas, and twelve males on the outskirts of Tokai forest waiting to disperse, the situation is definitely worsening.

A sanctuary has been suggested, although local land managers have expressed little interest in the idea; and with an unavoidably large bill to build and maintain the establishment, it would be highly difficult to initiate a sanctuary for baboons on the Cape.

Baboon management on the Cape is in a peculiar position. The situation is fairly unique  – high human conflict and no cultural attachment to the animal means that little compassion towards a long-term solution such as a sanctuary can be seen. With the Cape conflict on the rise, a solution to the problem is desperately needed. Both in the short term for the existing urbanized baboons, and long term in the hope to resolve the problem.

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Originating from Tokai forest, Bart is a rogue male. He is thought to have left his troop in search of another, but instead of finding a home with other baboons, he found his home with students on the campus of Cape Town University.

Originally spotted on the campus in August of last year, Bart was relocated to Cape Point – the furthest point south of the University in a place where other suitable baboon troops were known to be. As a result of previous management efforts, some troops had little to no males present – so it would have been ideal for Bart to integrate with.

Unfortunately because of the radical change in environment, it is believed that Bart could not adapt to his new surroundings, finding it difficult to forage in the unfamiliar ecosystem. Coming from Tokai where his diet would have consisted of pine nuts, vines and grass, Bart was greeted by Fynbos – which is the indigenous vegetation in Cape Point. It is likely that Bart will have never eaten Fynbos in his life, and because of the difficult nature of acquiring the edible seeds, it is expected he would have been starving. As a result he moved out of the forest and into Simons Town. This is believed to be where he learned to raid bins, cars and shopping bags. However he did not stay long, and soon returned home to Tokai forest. Sadly Bart had acquired a preference for people; their company and their food, and was soon back at the University campus.

Everybody knows Bart – he sleeps in the pine trees just above campus, has never attacked anyone and travels from bin to bin foraging most days. Because of his popularity, Bart’s case has become incredibly unique. His fame has undoubtedly affected the time scale of his ultimate date for removal, however the decision has definitely been made, and in the coming days Bart the baboon will be euthanized.

While Bart’s story is terribly sad, his plight has helped raise awareness of the baboon problem on the Cape, and with the uproar following the decision to euthanize Bart, other management options will undoubtedly be explored -- hopefully leading to an ethical and appropriate solution for the baboons here on the peninsula.

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At 8 AM the Handshake volunteers were met by Louis Jordaan, the owner of the Satvik Backpackers campsite that we’re staying at while working with the Vervet Monkey Foundation. Louis offered to give us a walking tour through the forest, land and dam that surround his campsite.

Perched on the Tzaneen dam off the Great Letaba River, the site is nestled within a large area of untouched woodland, farmland and rolling hills. Considering the urban surroundings of Tzaneen, the Satvik site is a rare find. Hidden at the bottom of a long dirt road encased in forest, the location feels an age away from the concrete jungle you pass through to get to the campsite.

Louis inherited the land from his Grandfather, and has a definite passion for the natural life that dwells here, its conservation, and ultimate future. Running the Satvik business as well as conducting microlite instruction, repair and trade, Louis’ time is somewhat limited. “I sometimes find it difficult to keep the place going – I do what I can with what I have but I need help to do anything with the land.”

Talking to Louis on the walk through thick bush, rare trees and waterside flora and fauna, he spoke of the pressure faced by local ideals and developers. The attitude held by the local community towards the wildlife is certainly detrimental. Louis described farmers as “shooting anything with eyes that was anywhere near their land –even driving down past my fence with their rifles out of the window.”

Not only is the wildlife threatened directly, but its habitat also. Urbanization is the biggest threat to natural land, and with planning in place for a fuel station and shopping centre across the road from the entrance to the campsite; the threat is getting closer all the time. Louis’ attitude seems positive however. “Animals are safe here – walking around and seeing wild bushbok in the forest is great. That will never change; I wont allow it to be built on. We’ve had suggestions for golf courses, hotels, but it wont happen.”

The inherited land has brought with it a definite sense of responsibility. Speaking about the land, his main focus is not of active conservation, but of stewardship. “Mother Nature will take care of this place, I just want to let her get on with it – It’s everyone’s responsibility to protect and preserve what’s around us.”

Currently there are crocodiles and hippopotamus that inhabit the dam, various bok species that roam the woodland, and numerous troops of vervet monkeys occupying the canopies. With invested time and effort, the area could become a protected natural habitat for many different species. Louis talks positively about getting the area protected and someday inviting volunteers to come and study the area and it’s wildlife.

Being at the Satvik site gives you a definite sense of well-being. Here is a large, beautiful and highly desired piece of land in the centre of Tzaneen surrounded by building and urbanization that, for as long as Louis can maintain, will remain exactly what it is – an untouched natural habitat for nature to manipulate how it pleases.

George Tyson

The use of bull whips to manage baboons has been slammed by the SPCA in the Western Cape.

The organisation says it won’t hesitate to take action against anyone who uses a whip to harm a baboon, including operators of the company that manages the baboon monitors in the southern Peninsula.

The Nature Conservation Corporation, which was recently awarded the contract to monitor baboons, announced on Friday it had issued its monitors with cattle whips.

Managing director Dean Ferreira said the monitors had been instructed to use the whips to create a cracking noise and not to hit the baboons.

He said the whips were being used instead of firecrackers, which could not be set off close to other animals or where there was a danger of vegetation being set alight.

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The Great Primate Handshake are currently on-route to Cape Town to investigate how digital media can be used to raise awareness of the threats baboons face, and the actions necessary to conserve the last baboon populations living in and around the Cape Peninsular. Await live news from the field this coming week.

Having completed our first week creating content for Chimp Eden in Nelspruit and working on the Handshake site, we took a well-deserved weekend off. Leaving our campsite in the hills at 6 AM on Thursday, we headed for Kruger National Park. We entered the park via Crocodile Bridge gate at roughly 8 in the morning for some serious Safari.

No more than five minutes drive in to the park and the wildlife began to appear. A small group of Giraffe were spotted first, followed by Impala, Zebra, Rhinoceros and Elephant. The height of Nox (our overland truck) happened to be a massive advantage for Safari – giving us a clear panoramic view of the African bush.

At one stage of the morning drive we pulled up for a closer look at the Hippopotamus lakes. Escorted by a park ranger, we made our way to the water. After a number of distant photo opportunities, a disturbed Hippo greeted the group across the lake. The animal paused briefly then darted at the water in our direction. Stricken by panic at the site of the huge beast hurtling towards us, everyone froze until the ranger yelled in broken English, “Get very far away very quickly.” Hastily making our way to the truck, the ranger proceeded to stand his ground and deter the animal by clapping and throwing stones.

After the drama and excitement of the drive, we made our way to the Kruger campsite and set up our tents in preparation for a relaxed evening on site. Most of the volunteers took up the opportunity of a restaurant meal and a cold drink, but some remained vigilant and departed on a three hour guided night drive.

The next day a pre-breakfast drive left at 6 AM that yielded a Leopard sighting. It might have been half a kilometer away, and might have been pretty difficult to see with the naked eye, but it was most definitely a Leopard sighting all the same.

Driving out of the park on our final drive we set off for Tzaneen. Here we will visit and work with both the Vervet Monkey Foundation and C.A.R.E. for the coming week.

To conclude our “weekend off”, day 12 witnessed the transformation of the handshake volunteers from hardworking conservationists, whose eyes are rarely distracted from the glow of a laptop screen, into death-defying adrenaline junkies.

Waking in a comfy hostel BED (a bit of a luxury), the handshake day began with a porridge breakfast at 7.30am. After the usual process of plate washing and flapping dry, we began re-locating our sleeping bags and ourselves back onto Nox. Under a sky of heavy grey cloud, Nox’s engine roared to life and the handshake expedition headed toward the breathtaking Graskop falls in Mpumalanga.

After just fifteen minutes of huddling under blankets or climbing back into sleeping bags, in defence against the cool morning breeze we were fully exposed to whilst sitting on Nox, we had arrived at our destination. Greeted by slightly fewer clouds and exiting the truck to the motivational rhythms of Europe’s The Final Countdown, we approached one of the world’s highest cable gorge swings. Many of us (I will shameless admit that I was involved in such behaviour) clung to each other for reassurance as we peeked over the rickety wooden fence and down into vast depths of the gorge itself.

Putting our faith in the hands of the locals who run The Big Swing, we signed our lives away and, having already paired up to do the gorge swing in tandem, each pair handed over 450 rand. Included within the price was a fly across the gorge on a 131 metre highwire (something of a ‘warm up’ to the gorge swing) and so once we had each been dressed in a harness the adventures really began. One by one we took it in turn to clutch the safety rope and run along the short runway of wooden planks, throwing ourselves into the expansive gorge.

Travelling across the gorge at 80 metres above ground zero provided us with incredible views and a definite buzz… but we were there for the swing. A 68 metre freefall in under 3 seconds.

Two by two, this time, we made our way to the edge (the order decided upon rather spontaneously). Putting our arms around our respective partners, each pair was instructed of which ropes to hold and where to place our feet before shuffling gingerly to the edge. Having ominously placed our feet on the blue outlines, we were told to put our heels over the edge of the wooden platform and – facing away from the gorge – fall backwards into the expanse.

I can only explain the descent as I experienced it, the fear of losing contact with the safety of the wooden platform and the movement of my stomach from its usual residence to somewhere nearer my throat, being unique for my body and perspective. As the rope pulled and the fall became a swing back and forth across the gorge, over a beautiful waterfall and lush forest, my friend and tandem partner, Steph and I screamed in relief and excitement and relished the feeling.

All pairs having survived the event, Cheryl was struck by a burst of confidence and a desire for adrenaline and so decided to do the gorge swing alone. Waiting for her in the depths of the gorge we cheered as she bravely fell away from the platform and began the incredibly fast descent toward us all. Reunited we enjoyed a group hug in the forest before climbing the slippery and uneven wooden ladder back up and out of the gorge to our fretting expedition leaders.

Following that high, the handshake then moved on to a location called God’s Window, also in Mpumalanga, where were privileged to witness one of the most breathtaking views I have ever encountered. Rather than attempting to depict the view in a linguistic manner, a photograph will, surely in this case, speak a thousand words.

Arriving at our new campsite in Tzaneen in the early evening, we pitched our tents and enjoyed a dinner of pumpkin soup before finishing off a wonderful day with the screening of a comedy film, projected onto a wall in our work area.

And finally, a Handshake volunteer has created a message for her Dad below after taking a lesson in Adobe Photoshop…

In unison with the Handshake’s launch, Lola Ya Bonobo, a sanctuary supported by the Great Primate Handshake (we host and built their two websites) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, will be releasing rehabilitated bonobos into a protected reserve this Sunday (14th June). A second release will take place on the 28th June, at which point the Handshake expedition will be making its way to JGI Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary.

Lola ya Bonobo – and its parent organization, Les Amis des Bonobos du Congo (ABC) – has spent over five years preparing for the release. In addition to an exhaustive search for a suitable forest site, the sanctuary held stakeholder meetings with local communities and political leaders to garner support, and undertook lengthy education and sensitization programs. The bonobos were also carefully screened for health problems, in addition to a battery of physical and psychological evaluations.

June is certainly an exciting and pionnering month for both Lola and the Handshake, as we both prepare ready for the off.

You can view videos from the series on HowStuffWorks, or alternatively, take a look at CARE’s work & Chacma Baboon conservation initiatives in Cape Town through the eyes of Handshake volunteers:

Baboon Tracking with Nicola
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThRY4qRKtgw

Baboon Monitoring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksFpjq-ktz8

Baboon Monitoring in Pictures
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Aj4faWnoKs&feature=channel_page

Baboon Tracking in Tokai Forest in Cape Town
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJFZZqCMLSg&feature=channel_page

Baboons of the Cape
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eelabf1SA8c&feature=channel_page

The Handshake will be visiting CARE again this September during the upcoming South African expedition, as we continue to produce vital educational video content and help to develop CARE’s website.

CARE also accept volunteers throughout the year. You can learn more about their work at http://www.primatecare.org.za/

When I was younger I used to attempt to climb most of the trees in my garden at home. This would start with small lilac trees – easy to get to grips with – and move onto bigger trees with thicker branches that would ultimately give you a better view. There was always a goal, possibly unreachable, like a holy grail – the ability to climb a tree high enough that you would see above its own canopy yet not snap the branches you were standing on.

I was reminded of this past time yesterday, on our way out of the Tzaneen area. The Handshake team decided to stop at a very big and very old tree. This was a baobab tree, highly regarded in many indigenous African cultures. This tree in particular was around 2000 years old, to get that in perspective, the tree was standing when Christ walked the earth.

As you walk down the long red, and yes it is red, African, dusty path towards the tree you’re immediately struck. You wonder if the thing in front of you is really a tree. You certainly couldn’t wrap your arms around its trunk. Thicker than our own truck, if not more, the tree stands proud at the end of the dirt track. At the bottom there’s a small gap with which you can climb inside like a cave in a huge rock structure.

I don’t play it but if anyone knows the Great Deku tree from the Zelda games it looks identical. It is winter here at the moment so the tree is bear of leaves. This means you can’t see the canopy but you do get to gaze at the trees superb structure.

Climbing up the roots there is a small hole into a dark cavern. As we climbed inside the only light was the entrance and the dust built up making a path of light in the air. We managed to fit about 7 people inside. After taking in the atmosphere I clambered out – the scene looking like a cave from Lord of the rings, with Gollum appearing into the light. (Due to my shaved head).

On the other side among the small green plants that line the bottom there is a long tall ladder, constructed of small logs. The ladder runs up the trunk like a guide for rock climbers and eventually reaches the first branch off of the tree. Many people decided to go up bear foot to offer more grip. When up amongst the branches you realise just how high this really is. Gripping onto the few handles, manmade and natural, you perch on the branches looking around the area.

There is a sense of the tree holding you up. Nearly everybody went up, in groups, even those conquering fears of heights. As people made their way down and eventually walked away, looking back, you got a sense of the majesty of this ancient living relic.

By Oliver Upton