South Africa: Pistols Used in Attacks on Baboons
24 March 2009

Cape Argus


Some welcome Glen residents are said to be continuing their illegal assault on the local baboon troop, repeatedly shooting the animals with pellet guns, birdshot from a shotgun and now even a .22 pistol.

Yesterday, a big male baboon named Noskethi was taken to a Sun Valley veterinary clinic where vets removed a .22 bullet from his fractured leg. They said the bullet might have caused the fracture.

X-rays revealed another 13 pellets from an airgun as well as pieces of bird-shot in the animal's body.

<
A ballistics expert has looked at the remains of the recovered .22 bullet and said it had almost certainly been fired by a .22 pistol, not a rifle.

Also, law enforcement officials from CapeNature have been asked to interview one Welcome Glen resident who bragged to baboon conservationists that he had probably shot a badly injured animal they were searching for recently.

On Friday, vets at the same clinic treating this baboon for infection after earlier amputating its right arm, took x-rays and found that it had seven pellets and four pieces of birdshot in various parts of its body.

One of the pellets was lodged in the animal's nose, and another was under the skin of the infected knee.

Two weeks ago an 18-month-old male baboon was put down after being diagnosed with septic peritonitis - the result of a wound from a pellet apparently also fired by a resident of Welcome Glen, near Glencairn.

Vet Hernand Azorin, who does volunteer work for baboon conservation and management company Baboon Matters, said they would now do routine s-rays on any baboons brought in for treatment to pick up evidence of gunshot wounds.

Azorin said people had to realise that even airguns could cause fatal wounds.

Yesterday, he said shooting incidents appeared to be escalating.

He had been able to remove the .22 bullet from Noskethi.

"Hopefully we will be able to do some ballistics testing on it - it's a starting point."

He said it was "quite likely" the bullet had caused the fracture.

The ballistics expert who looked at the bullet and who asked not to be named said a .22 pistol was not as powerful as a .22 rifle but could kill a small child at close quarters. Also, the bullet could kill by severing an artery or causing septicaemia.

Marlei Martin, who works with Jenni Trethowan at Baboon Matters, said the Welcome Glen resident had made his shooting remark while she was searching for Penelope who had been hiding in thick bush.

"I asked him to keep his dogs inside because we were looking for a critically injured baboon and he said: 'Oh, that's probably the one that I shot.' "

Trethowan said they knew where the man lived and had asked CapeNature to interview him.


Some residents of Welcome Glen and elsewhere appeared to believe that shooting baboons discouraged the animals from raiding their suburbs.

"Shooting the baboons doesn't solve the problem - it doesn't keep them away. We know these animals will take their chances of being hurt if the rewards are high enough."

Penelope is being taken to a long-term baboon rehabilitation centre in Barrydale today.

shooting them with a big enough gun will solve the problem. USE ENOUGH GUN!

jeff h

What is the issue with shooting a damn baboon? They should ALL Be shot!
You are correct--a little more gun will solve the problem.

Michael

Let's see I have used 6.5X55, 338 Winchester, 300 Dakota, 45 Colt, 458 Winchester, 458 Lott, 416 Remington, 358 STA, 35 Whelen, and I never had a problem with baboons.

M

I cannot understand the hatred of baboons voiced by American members of this forum. I grew up around and frustrated by bobo0s, I have shot them out of veggie gardens, mielie fields and thatched roofs.

I don't hate them. Why do foreign clients decide that they are the "anti Christ" of animals?

As a Zimbabwean, I would hate to have a bush environment silent of baboons.

Sorry, not just "Americans" but all foreign clients.

Baboons are as much a part of Africa as jumbo.

quote:

Originally posted by dyker:
I cannot understand the hatred of baboons voiced by American members of this forum. I grew up around and frustrated by bobo0s, I have shot them out of veggie gardens, mielie fields and thatched roofs.

I don't hate them. Why do foreign clients decide that they are the "anti Christ" of animals?

As a Zimbabwean, I would hate to have a bush environment silent of baboons.

I was in Zim in 98 and my PH had a real problem with them killing his Angora goats. I had taken all my game animals after 6 days of a 10 day hunt so he asked if I'd slot some bobo's for him.

We knocked off about 60 in 4 days..........at the end of that time they had got the hell off his property for the duration.

Great sport........much smarter than a 'roo and they look spectacular when blown from trees etc

Baboons killing Angora goats! Is that not canned hunting?

Hate baboons????? I can't imagine, I love them!

I love to shoot them!

M

I suppose if you pay the big bucks you are entitled to shoot what ever. Hate them as much as you want - but paying to kill them? They get the last laugh.

hmmmm...know what a dyke(r) is in the rest of the world? If you shoot everyone you see, they will get smarter and leave the area. Can we send them all to your house?

Rich
Buff Killer

quote:

Originally posted by dyker:
Sorry, not just "Americans" but all foreign clients.

Baboons are as much a part of Africa as jumbo.

I don't hate them. I would just treat them as you would any problem animal. Stray dogs, coyotes, squirrels. Rather put them down in a hurry that to make them suffer. I have only shot 2 in 9 trips to Africa. I just don't understand people who take killing them off the table when there are too many.

/

quote:

Originally posted by dyker:
Baboons killing Angora goats! Is that not canned hunting?

dyker,

It was for them until they started taking hits........

It became a very dangerous game for them, then

The one I shot with a 300 win mag didn't need any veternary assistance

If they are running short of baboons down there, they could always translocate some from here. We grew up being taught that a good baboon was a dead baboon, because they are so plentiful in this area. I think the reason for this was the establishment of the sugar estates way back when. Anyhow, we have all been shooting baboons for as long as we can remember, whenever the opportunity presents itself. Never have we made an impact on the population - their numbers just increase. Roger Whittall had a client who shot 130/140 or so in one hunt! The only issue I have with shooting baboons here is the waste of ammunition!

Those fools should not be doing what they are doing, and should be arrested for cruelty to animals. Imagine the agony of living with pellets embedded in your body.

Dave

quote:

Roger Whittall had a client who shot 130/140 or so in one hunt!

Like to meet that bloke

quote:

Originally posted by Blair338/378:

quote:

Roger Whittall had a client who shot 130/140 or so in one hunt!

Like to meet that bloke

Blair, he is a really nice chap who did us a great favour. We hope he'll be back to eliminate more.

Blair

60 in 4 days!!!!! My Hero!!!!!

The other client that shot 130+ My Hero!!!!!!

Honest to god I would go on nothing but a baboon safari as long as the shooting was plentiful! I am taking a break from Africa for this year, and probably next year too. Burned out! But next time might just be for boons!!!!! But I would want to burn barrels red shooting!!!!!

Michael

quote:

Imagine the agony of living with pellets embedded in your body.

Apparently not that painful if the baboons keep coming back for more.

quote:

Originally posted by Will:

quote:

Imagine the agony of living with pellets embedded in your body.

Apparently not that painful if the baboons keep coming back for more.

Yeah, right....No animal deserves this treatment, poisoning them would be more humane.

quote:

Imagine the agony of living with pellets embedded in your body.

Oh, I don't know I lived with pieces of shrapnel in my shoulder for several years until they worked themselves out: the cortisone shots were hell, however.

Never shot a baboon, but I have shot more problem/feral dogs than I can ever count.
Same problem sounds like, but it does not mean that I enjoy it.
I do it because I have to.
But,, I hate to see any animal suffer, and try my dangdest to make their deaths as sudden as possible.
There is a fellow here that has a method for shooting more when he finds them in a pack and that is to shoot the first one in the guts and as he is spinning and yelping the others run to him to see what is the matter, and then he whacks a few more before they wisen up.
I can't seem to make myself do that, and instead end up getting more practice at running shots.
Damn shitty job in all, but very needed so I do it.
But I hate it actually.

It always irritates me when people feed wild animals, especially baboons, because they will become bolder and bolder and become aggressive or start breaking into houses raiding fridges, etc, and can become quite dangerous around children with food, etc. More often than not the end result will be a shot animal either inside or outside of a nature reserve. Any farmer will tell you that they are a nuisance to crops or young livestock or poultry (lambs and kids) but wounding them is not a solution. Shooting one dead outright in front of the others is probably a better deterrent, or not feeding and encouraging them in the first place. In areas where they have been hunted heavily just the distant sight of a human is enough to get them into barks and fits of pandemonium to get the hell out of there! Feeding them is simply a ticket to an early grave and it amazes me that even with all the signs warning people not to they still go ahead and feed them....

Mabey a good reason to found a "Boon Busters of RSA?" National shoots could be held, trophies awarded, drinks toasted, money to be had. That should turn things around for the current Gov't...no? Circle the wagons Tarzan, here they come again.
LDK

quote:

Originally posted by David Hulme:

quote:

Originally posted by Blair338/378:

quote:

Roger Whittall had a client who shot 130/140 or so in one hunt!

Like to meet that bloke

Blair, he is a really nice chap who did us a great favour. We hope he'll be back to eliminate more.

And a hell of a shot, evidently David.

I'd never seen so many baboons as on that property in Zim.......Charlie must have had the privilege of at least 6 huge troops, some numbered in the 50-60's.

So the ones I culled were a drop in the bucket, but it did deter them from killing his Angora goats.........