The Democratic Alliance in Thabazimbi calls on the municipality to urgently develop a coordinated plan to manage rising human-baboon conflict. Similar measure to those successfully implemented in the Western Cape should be adopted in partnership with key stakeholders to protect residents and property from harm and decrease baboon activity in urban areas.
The incursion of baboons into Thabazimbi town has become an increasingly serious problem. They are entering homes, damaging property, and causing significant and ongoing distress to residents. The situation has reached a point where urgent and coordinated action is needed to prevent further incidents.
Both international and local wildlife experts recommend the following steps:
- Prevent baboons from accessing urban areas.
- Train dedicated baboon field rangers in field techniques, public education, and law enforcement.
- Equip rangers with aversion tools to discourage baboons from foraging in residential and recreational spaces.
- Install electrified fence barriers where feasible to allow baboons and humans to coexist peacefully.
We believe that with the assistance of our municipality we need to establish a dedicated response team to monitor baboon activity and to implement measures aimed at reducing baboon activity in our urban areas to be protect residents from harm
The DA remains committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all Thabazimbi residents while promoting humane and sustainable solutions to manage human-wildlife conflict.
We will continue to keep the community updated on progress made as we work toward a long-term solution. Residents are urged to report baboon activity to TLM immediately so that incidents can be monitored and addressed swiftly.