The male baboon who recently caused a stir as he went on a walkabout through the streets of Cape Town has sadly been put down.
This was revealed by the community group Baboons Of The South, after they sent an enquiry to the Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (CPMJTT).
The joint task team consists of representatives from SANParks, CapeNature, and the City of Cape Town.
Baboons Of The South posted the response from the Joint Task Team on their Facebook page.
It states: "The dispersing male baboon (TK67) failed to integrate with any of the available Northern sub-population troops after a previous capture and return to his natal range and remained, lingering in Constantia, for months.
“TK67 has been euthanised following deliberation by the Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (CPBMJTT).”
About two weeks ago, the male baboon who was named Earl was found wandering in Plumstead, Kenwyn, and Lansdowne.
The Animal Welfare Society of South Africa, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, the NCC, and veterinarians eventually trapped and caught Earl in Lansdowne on August 20.
Baboons Of The South said the existing guidelines need to be changed and urged the Joint Task Team to be more transparent with updates on baboons in the Cape.
The organisation adds: “This update has a clear and constructive purpose behind it.
“It is a call to the Joint Task Team to be open, transparent and to communicate about our baboons rather than the public having to ask which leads to anger and frustration, justifiably so.”
Locals lamented Earl's passing on Facebook, calling it tragic news as they voiced their disappointment.
Jasmien Barron wrote: “Disgusted... Soon the future generation will only see a baboon in a museum.”
Gudrun Scott Cleghorn added: “It was never going to go any other way. JTT will pick the baboon population off one by one.”
The Daily Voice sent the CPMJTT a query regarding Earl's death and the reason for it, but they did not respond.
Jenni Trethowan, founder of the Baboon Matters Trust, said she wishes the authorities would have a better plan for dispersing males, such as relocating them off the Peninsula, adding: “And given a chance to find a wild troop of baboons in the Cederberg, there are lots of wild places where baboons could possibly go.”
She said euthanising the animals cannot be the only plan of action.
Trethowan says: “I’m not going to use the word euthanised because Earl was a perfectly healthy baboon, so there was no need for him to be killed other than there wasn’t a troop for him to go to.”