Primates Archives - EMS Foundation

19 Oct

PERPETUATING THE ENDLESS CYCLE OF CRUELTY AGAINST BABOONS IN THE OVERSTRAND

PERPETUATING THE ENDLESS CYCLE OF CRUELTY AGAINST BABOONS IN THE OVERSTRAND A 30 Day Study of Incidents in Pringle Bay During September and October 2023

3 Oct

EMS FOUNDATION COMMENTS ON THE WESTERN CAPE ANNUAL SPORT HUNTING NOTICE FOR 2024

Cullinan and Associates, lawyers acting on behalf of the EMS Foundation, by invitation, provided inputs and comments on Cape Nature's Annual Hunting Notice 2024. In summary, the EMS Foundation objects to the procedure Cape Nature follows in publishing annual Hunting Notices on the following grounds: CapeNature as the trustee of biological diversity in the Western Cape bears the onus of establishing scientifically that the hunting of each of the species listed in the annual Hunting Notice in the numbers specified is justified from a conservation perspective. The onus should not be on the public to motivate why the contents of the Notice are not not scientifically justified;

28 Sep

Video of the Shooting of Baboon with a Catapult in Pringle Bay Recorded in Accordance with the Overstrand Municipality Published Baboon Hotline Directive

The Overstrand Municpality recommends that videos and images are taken of incidents where baboons are harmed, and that all the relevant additional information provided to the Overstrand Municipality will be passed onto Cape Nature to investigate.

15 Sep

OVERSTRAND MUNICIPALITY CHOOSES TO RELY UPON BIASED, INACCURATE AND UNSCIENTIFIC INFORMATION

Presently the Overstrand Municipality, unconstitutionally and stubbornly refuses to meet with representatives from the Pringle Bay or Betty's Bay community or the volunteers and civil society entities who are working altruistically and tirelessly to assist this villages. Instead, the Overstrand Municipality has chosen to rely upon outdated questionable data from HWS and the few residents who want baboons eradicated from the conservancy. Due to the enormous amount of money that was spent on the services of Human Wildlife Solutions baboon management in the Overstrand Municipality, the EMS Foundation has taken the firm position that an independent oversight authority needs to be consulted one with an independent legal mandate to investigate the merits of the call for a 106 forensic investigation.

29 Aug

PRINGLE BAY BABOON MANAGEMENT AN URGENT REQUEST FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION

According to the content of the letter addressed to the Mayor and Municipal Manager of the Overstrand Municipality Cullinan and Associates are of the opinion that the decision making process with regard to baboon management in the Overstrand Municipality needs to be more transparent and must allow for interested and affected parties to put forward their points of view. Furthermore, it is urgently requested that the Overstrand Municipality arranges an open meeting for all residents in order that an agreed upon, open and transparent process for baboon management decision making can be established.

26 Aug

URGENT LEGAL OBJECTION TO THE OVERSTRAND MUNICIPALITY THREAT OF THE FORCED REMOVAL OF BLUE TAG BABOON FROM PRINGLE BAY

URGENT LEGAL OBJECTION TO THE OVERSTRAND MUNICIPALITY THREAT OF THE FORCED REMOVAL OF BLUE TAG BABOON FROM PRINGLE BAY On Saturday 26th of August 2023 the EMS Foundation was forced to instruct Cullinan and Associates to issue an urgent letter to Mr Dean o’ Neill, the Municipal Manager of the Overstrand Municipality in response to […]

1 Aug

THE NEED TO CREATE COST EFFECTIVE HARMONIOUS HUMAN-BABOON COEXISTENCE IN THE OVERSTRAND

THE NEED TO CREATE COST EFFECTIVE HARMONIOUS HUMAN-BABOON COEXISTENCE IN THE OVERSTRAND On the 27th of July 2023, Mayor Rabie on behalf of the Overstrand Municipality published an announcement stating that the issue of the four problem male baboons in Pringle Bay has been discussed with Minister Bredell on the 15th of May 2023 and that Minister Bredell has undertaken the […]

30 Jul

LET’S PICK UP THE PIECES AND START AGAIN THE MONKEY HELPLINE REHABILITATION AND SANCTUARY CENTRE

The EMS Foundation has provided a substantial contribution for the procurement of land in KwaZulu Natal which will provide Monkey Helpline primate sanctuary with longevity the security that they require. Steve Smit started Monkey Helpline in 1995, he has successfully lobbied Ezemvelo Wildlife KZN, to adopt a management policy for all captive primates in KwaZulu Natal. Habitat destruction and modification has negatively effect on all primates in South Africa, humans have annexed territories that primates inhabited for many generations. Steve Smith and Carol Booth are continuing to raise funds to rebuild the Monkey Helpline Primate Rehabilitation and Sanctuary Centre.

25 Jul

REQUEST FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO TENDERS AWARDED BY THE OVERSTRAND MUNICIPALITY

Mayor Rabie in her response written within on the same day, to the EMS Foundation letter of concern, alluded to the fact that a full S106 investigation into the awarding of the baboon management tenders was done by the Office of the MEC for Local Government in early 2021. This information was not provided to the EMS Foundation by the municipality in any response to our PAIA requests.

19 Jun

COMMENTS ON SANPARKS REVISED DRAFT ON THE TOKAI AND CECILIA MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

The EMS Foundation provided comments on the 19th of June 2023, the revised draft of the SANParks plan for the management of the Tokai and Cecilia areas will determine how SANParks and its "stakeholders" will manage these sensitive areas over the next five years. The area is described as a complex and contested space and finding a solution that is holistic and inclusive is complicated. The EMS Foundation concern for the ancestral residents of the Table Mountain National Park, the Chacma baboon, is highlighted throughout the submission.

30 May

CONCERN AND REQUEST FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY WITH REGARD TO THE OVERSTRAND STRATEGIC BABOON MANAGEMENT PLAN AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION

13 Apr

PETITION TO LIST THE LONG-TAILED MACAQUE AND SOUTHERN PIG-TAILED MACAQUE UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

In our ongoing quest for the protection of primate species around the world, the EMS Foundation proudly supported the detailed scientifically orientated petitions drawn up by Dr Lisa Jones Engel from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals organisation, also known as PETA, which were delivered to the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service yesterday.

31 Mar

CAPE PENINSULA BABOON STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PLAN

The EMS Foundation is a member of the Wildlife Animal Protection Forum of South Africa, we have submitted comprehensive comments on the Draft Cape Peninsula Baboon Strategic Management Plan. We request a moratorium on the killing of baboons while this plan is being amended.

3 Mar

THE DECISION TO DRIVE THE BABOON TROOP OUT OF PRINGLE BAY

Cullinan and Associates, environmental lawyers acting on behalf of the EMS Foundation have sent an urgent letter to the Overstrand Municipality, the Baboon Management Joint Task Team, Cape Nature Overberg and Human Wildlife Solutions with regard to their decision to move the baboon troops from Pringle Bay

23 Feb

OUR KIN DISCARDED SOUTH AFRICA’S CRUEL AND GRATUITOUS TRADE AND KILLING OF NON HUMAN PRIMATES

The fourth instalment of the Extinction Business series of Reports focuses on South Africa's inhumane, unsustainable and discreditable trade in non-humane primates and their body parts. Researched, written and published by the EMS Foundation and Ban Animal Trading.

24 Dec

REQUEST TO SUSPEND THE DECISION TO REMOVE MALE BABOONS FROM THE PRINGLE BAY TROOP

Environmental lawyers Cullinan and Associates, acting on behalf of the EMS Foundation have, today issued an urgent communication which is addressed to the Executive Mayor of the Overstrand Municipality, representatives of the Baboon Management Joint Task Team, Cape Nature and Human Wildlife Solutions.

18 Jan

Kataza Can Stay in the Cape Province, Has This Been Considered?

For the record, the EMS Foundation is not in agreement with the baboon management protocols which include paintballing, firing bare bangers, the inappropriate relocation, permanent captivity of male baboons or the killing of baboons. “On average for management purposes, we kill about seven baboons a year – habitual raiders - it is a danger to the public to have them in urban areas” -Julia Wood, Biodiversity manager for the City of Cape Town. Cape Town ratepayers have been paying fourteen million rand a year for the services of a baboon management company.

15 Jan

KATAZA

According to their own statement, on the 12th of January 2021, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA submitted an application to CapeNature for a permit to capture, transport and relocate Kataza/SK11 from the Western Cape to Limpopo. Receipt of such application was not confirmed to the EMS Foundation on the same day by Dr Ernst Baard, Executive Director of Conservations Operations, CapeNature.

17 Dec

BUA NOI

Zoos cannot provide the amount of space gorillas have in the wild, gorillas roam for large distances. Zoos do not provide natural habitats and this is particularly true of the Paka Zoo in Bangkok. The well-being of gorillas is dependent on their environment, Bau Noi lives in unnatural surroundings on her own this could mean that she might have developed physical health problems or anxiety, depression and even psychosis. Bau Noi was captured from the wild, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture in 2011 concluded that solitary confinement for humans beyond fifteen days constituted cruel and inhumane punishment.

30 Nov

WHALE COAST CONSERVATION

Comment on the Proposed Overstrand Municipality Amendment By-Law on Municipal Land Use Planning 2019 and Associated Documents

22 Sep

Exporting Chimpanzees from South Africa to China: Utterly wrong but Technically Allowed by CITES Loopholes?

All our attempts to engage with and confirm this with both the North West province (including their spokesperson) and the Hartbeespoort Snake and Animal Park have been unsuccessful, as neither returned our calls or responded to our enquiries.

16 Jul

Letter RE: Euthanizing of Baboons as a Strategy

Following the euthanasia of five baboons in the last three months, we met with a group of concerned interested and affected parties and discussed their concerns. The consensus of the meeting was that there is an urgent need to call for a moratorium on killing baboons, until such a time that there is a more in-depth assessment of the current situation. The undersigned organisations are in support of such a moratorium. In our opinion, there is a deep underlying incompatibility between the killing of baboons in terms of the latest Guidelines and not resolving the factors that contribute to the raiding behaviour that create the very basis for the implementation of these Guidelines.

Category Primates

PERPETUATING THE ENDLESS CYCLE OF CRUELTY AGAINST BABOONS IN THE OVERSTRAND

EMS FOUNDATION COMMENTS ON THE WESTERN CAPE ANNUAL SPORT HUNTING NOTICE FOR 2024

Video of the Shooting of Baboon with a Catapult in Pringle Bay Recorded in Accordance with the Overstrand Municipality Published Baboon Hotline Directive

OVERSTRAND MUNICIPALITY CHOOSES TO RELY UPON BIASED, INACCURATE AND UNSCIENTIFIC INFORMATION

PRINGLE BAY BABOON MANAGEMENT AN URGENT REQUEST FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION

URGENT LEGAL OBJECTION TO THE OVERSTRAND MUNICIPALITY THREAT OF THE FORCED REMOVAL OF BLUE TAG BABOON FROM PRINGLE BAY

THE NEED TO CREATE COST EFFECTIVE HARMONIOUS HUMAN-BABOON COEXISTENCE IN THE OVERSTRAND

LET’S PICK UP THE PIECES AND START AGAIN THE MONKEY HELPLINE REHABILITATION AND SANCTUARY CENTRE

REQUEST FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO TENDERS AWARDED BY THE OVERSTRAND MUNICIPALITY

COMMENTS ON SANPARKS REVISED DRAFT ON THE TOKAI AND CECILIA MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK

CONCERN AND REQUEST FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY WITH REGARD TO THE OVERSTRAND STRATEGIC BABOON MANAGEMENT PLAN AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION

PETITION TO LIST THE LONG-TAILED MACAQUE AND SOUTHERN PIG-TAILED MACAQUE UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

CAPE PENINSULA BABOON STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PLAN

THE DECISION TO DRIVE THE BABOON TROOP OUT OF PRINGLE BAY

OUR KIN DISCARDED SOUTH AFRICA’S CRUEL AND GRATUITOUS TRADE AND KILLING OF NON HUMAN PRIMATES

REQUEST TO SUSPEND THE DECISION TO REMOVE MALE BABOONS FROM THE PRINGLE BAY TROOP

Kataza Can Stay in the Cape Province, Has This Been Considered?

KATAZA

BUA NOI

WHALE COAST CONSERVATION

Exporting Chimpanzees from South Africa to China: Utterly wrong but Technically Allowed by CITES Loopholes?

Letter RE: Euthanizing of Baboons as a Strategy