Baboons

DRAFT

MISTY CLIFFS VILLAGE ASSOCOATION & THE NATURE CONSERVATION CORPORATION (NCC) BABOON PROTOCOL:

• NCC must mitigate the conflict between the baboons and the humans.
• This protocol is just as a clarification of the roles and responsibilities of the baboon monitors within Misty Cliffs.
• Where possible, the baboon monitors are placed on the borders of the conservation villages, and prevent the baboons from entering into the conservation villages. They achieve this by locating the baboons sleeping sites and ensuring that they do not forage too close to the urban edge.
• For the baboons that manage to enter the residential area, either by crossing the “virtual line” or passing the monitors or that slept within the Villages, the following do apply.
• The monitors will herd the baboons out of the villages, as fast as practical and possible, understanding that the herding process is slow.
• A total of 4 monitors will be allocated to the Misty Cliffs / Scarborough fission troop.
• The marine area along Misty Cliffs is considered the natural foraging area for the baboons, and the baboons will be allowed in this area.
• The monitors will do their best to prevent the baboons from entering the houses “on the beach”.
• The monitors will follow the baboons on the beach side as far as practical and safe, and they will make use of the public access roads to the beach to herd the baboons out of this area or prevent them from gaining access to private property.
• By approving this protocol, the NCC baboon monitors are hereby given permission to enter the grounds of all properties to heard the baboons out. The residents that are unhappy with this agreement, must inform the Village Association (Doug Tunbridge 083 250 3452) who will request NCC to advise the Monitors not to enter the grounds of these properties. Barring entry will affect the success of herding the Baboons out of the Village as it will hamper the monitors herding ability.
• The baboon monitors will always be in identifiable uniform with an id card, and the residents can call the Hotline to confirm that monitors must be in a specific area.

The Fission Troop movement patterns 2010:

• The fission troop currently utilises the cliffs between Misty Cliffs and Scarborough village as sleeping sites.
• The current census by BRU, on individuals in the troop is 17 baboons comprising of :

  Four(4) Adult males [ 2 have VHF radio collars and 1 GPS collar]
  Six (6) Adult female [none collared]
  Five (5) Juveniles and Two (2) infants

• Their foraging home range covers the areas bordering the conservation villages of Scarborough and Misty Cliffs as well as the coastal area.
• The fission troop have on occasion moved into the Slangkop troop home range above the residential area of Ocean View, they however do return to their natural foraging range at Misty Cliffs and Scarborough.
• The individual male baboons have adapted to raiding in residential areas alone, this decreases the effectiveness of maintaining a holding line to mitigate raids.

Proposed Action plan:

• In order to locate the troop and mitigate incursions into residential area, NCC proposes that a greater number of individuals be collared and tagged.
• Misty Cliffs Village Association will finance the purchase of three (3) VHF radio collars to be used on individuals within the fission troop.
• Misty Cliffs Village Association to investigate the supplying of binoculars for the management of the fission troop.
• Misty Cliffs Village Association will supply NCC with a list of cell phone numbers of residents living in the conservation village to implement the bulk SMS system.
• NCC to manage the capture, tagging and collaring of these individual baboons.
• The VHF radio tracking will allow the NCC monitors to locate the fission troop as early as possible and put measures in place to mitigate the troop from entering the conservation village.
• The NCC monitors will, by means of VHF radio tracking telemetry, record vital information of the movement of the fission troop and individuals entering the conservation village.
• The data collected will assist in the controlled management of the troop, data will be submitted to the relevant authorities for analysis.
• The NCC monitors will far as practical to do so, herd the troop to the natural foraging area above Misty Cliffs or along the marine area away from residential houses.
• NCC monitors operating times are from 06h30 to 18h30, this is subjected to the seasonal movement of the troops.

Resident responsibilities and participation:

• Residents are required to inform NCC of any baboons sited close to or within the residential area immediately by contacting the Baboon Hotline 071 588 6540.
• Residents should take a proactive stance in managing their immediate environment in the conservation village by:
  • Managing the waste and the removal thereof in a responsible manner to discourage baboons from entering or raiding within the conservation village.
  • Securing or baboon proofing their property to mitigate baboons from entering their houses.
  • Allowing baboon monitors onto their property when baboons are present in order to herd baboons out of the conservation village.
  • Informing residents utilising holiday property in the conservation village of presence of the baboon troop and the regulations of the “do’s” and “don’ts” when dealing with the troop or individual baboons.
  • Managing compost heaps, alien vegetation and fruit trees to discourage baboons from foraging through them.
  • Reporting all incidents of raids as soon as possible.
  • Report monitor misconduct as soon as possible.

NCC Monthly Report:

• NCC will include into the monthly report a breakdown of the Baboon Hotline calls received and the statistics recorded by the monitors from Misty Cliffs.
• NCC will state any changes to the operating times of the monitors within the report.
• NCC will report progress with regards to the capture, tagging and collaring of
individual baboons from the fission troop.

Draft protocol prepared by The Nature Conservation Corporation 11-05-2010