THE DECISION TO DRIVE THE BABOON TROOP OUT OF PRINGLE BAY

THE OVERSTRAND BABOON MANAGEMENT PLAN

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.

“While our client is grateful that no action has been taken to remove certain baboons from the troop, it has now come to our client’s attention that at some point last weekend Human Wildlife Solutions has driven the baboons out of the Pringle Bay town, across the R44 into the area known as Buffelsdam. It has done so using paintball guns, among other methods.

The decision to instruct Human Wildlife Solutions or to permit it to force the baboons into an area which is likely to cause suffering and possible loss of life to the troop is also a decision which may significantly affect the environment and as an organ of the state the Municipality ought to have considered the principles in section 2 of the National Environmental Management Act, 107 of 1988, in particular that “(s)sustainable development require the consideration of all relevant factors including … that the disturbance of ecosystems and loss of biological diversity are avoided, or, where they cannot be altogether avoided, are minimised and remedied. ” (Section 2(4)(a)(i)).”

READ THE FULL LETTER

Image Credit: Baboons in Pringle Bay photographed by Jenny Parsons

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