URGENT Call to Action: Opposing the “Hard Reset” of Cape Peninsula Baboons

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A troubling proposal has been tabled that could drastically reshape the future of the Cape Peninsula’s chacma baboon population. At a Joint Task Team (SANParks, City of Cape Town, and CapeNature) meeting on 18 August 2025, a “hard reset” was presented as the most “viable solution” for managing baboon–human conflict.

What does this mean in practice? Potentially the eradication of 120–200 baboons—entire troops—through mass killing. Relocation and contraception were acknowledged but labelled less viable. No clear methodology has been shared, but reports confirm that an Australian lethal control expert (whose background is not in primates) was recently consulted.

This plan risks permanently erasing Cape Peninsula baboon troops. These animals are not pests—they are indigenous, ecologically vital mammals who play a key role in our shared ecosystem.

The Real Problem

For decades, effective non-lethal solutions have been underfunded, under-implemented, or ignored. These include:

  • Proper waste management to reduce attractants.

  • Community education on coexistence strategies.

  • Contraception programmes to manage population growth humanely.

Instead of prioritising these, authorities are proposing lethal measures as the “reset button.” It is a short-sighted and ethically questionable approach that disregards the root causes of conflict.

A Flawed Process

The public has been given until 29 August 2025 to comment on the Draft Action Plan—an unreasonably tight timeframe. Requests for extensions have been ignored, leaving little room for meaningful engagement.

Standing Together

Green Group Simonstown (GGST), a community-based organisation serving on the Baboon Advisory Group (BAG), is leading objections to the plan. They are calling for the public’s support in submitting comments and demanding that authorities reconsider this destructive path.

As conservationists, animal advocates, and citizens, we have a duty to speak out. Once troops are gone, they are gone forever.

How You Can Help

  • Submit your own objection by emailing admin@greengroupsimonstown.org.

  • Send your points in bullet format, with your full name and/or organisation, by 27 August 2025.

  • Alternatively, support GGST’s draft submission, which will be circulated on 25 August.

Final Thoughts

The so-called “hard reset” is not a solution—it is an irreversible tragedy in the making. True coexistence comes from addressing waste, education, and community responsibility, not by eliminating wildlife.

The Cape Peninsula baboons deserve protection, not extermination. Let’s ensure their survival by standing together and speaking out now.

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