Molo (hello)

New Year and January 2008 have come and gone and I hope it was a good one for all. To sustain my gorilla with drawl, I enjoyed one of the Cape's best kept wildlife secrets, walking with the baboons!

Baboon Matters was founded by well known conservationist and baboon lover, Jenny Trethowan. In 1999, Jenny began a Baboon Monitoring Program in an effort to raise awareness for these fascinating primates and their plight. Rapid urbanization, has been a direct result of habitat loss of our wilderness areas, and as a result, has added to the increased conflict between man and Baboon. Jenny’s projects work two-fold, firstly by keeping the Baboons out of villages and secondly, by creating jobs for the men of the Masiphumelele community.

Where we went
Baboon Matters operates in vicinity of Glencairn which is situated between Kalk Bay and Simon’s Town. Along with our guide Sphelo, we headed up the hillside of Da Gama in search of George’s troop. Our walk lasted a total of two hours and took us through the beautiful fynbos where we encounter the baboons in their home territory.

Hamba-kakuhle (go well)
(Xhosa is the local dialect used in Cape Town )

Fact File:

• There are roughly 250 Chacma Baboons left in the Southern Peninsula.
• There are two habituated troops open for daily visits: the Da Gama & Slangkop troops
• For 365 days of the year, the monitors goal are to keep the baboons out of the villages.
• A Baboons troop leader can be easily identified as he will always have a more erect tail than any other member of the troop!
  

Baboon Matters operates daily Monday to Friday.
For truly one of the best wildlife encounters in Cape Town, log onto or more info www.baboonmatters.org.za