Baboons outwit Beitbridge border staff
http://www.newzimbabwe.com

07/05/2010 00:00:00

BABOONS are said to be making monkeys out of the nature conservation
officials sent to prevent them stealing from people at the Beitbridge border
post.

"I heard that the baboons recently broke in and stole from the tents of the
nature conservation staff that had been deployed there to deal with them,"
South African MP Joe McGluwa said on Thursday.

McGluwa said a troop of about 200 baboons was responsible for "stealing from
and terrorising pedestrians, motorists, truckers and customs officials" at
the post, the main crossing point between Zimbabwe and South Africa.
"These baboons have now become experts at opening people's bags and stealing
food from visitors," he said.

The MP said no effective action was being taken to stop the troop's
behaviour, despite repeated calls for action, adding the baboons' raid on
the nature officials' tents was "a clear sign of the absolute incompetence
that has been shown by the government in dealing with this matter".

In a parliamentary question earlier this year, McGluwa called on
Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica to say what steps her
department would take to "remove and rehabilitate the baboons before the
2010 Soccer World Cup tournament".

In a later reply, the minister said the matter had been referred to the
Limpopo department of economic development, environment and tourism. SAPA

just shoot a few of them.
Problem solved!

I think we are anthropomorphizing just a bit to accuse baboons of stealing or theft. I rather doubt the baboons perception of their activities is such that throwing them in jail would have much in the way of rehabilitative value. I suspect there are three choices. One...make the food source physically inaccessible to the critters. Two...make accessing the food source invariably very painful. Three...remove the critters from the area (Kill or transport). These are really variations on a theme, make the food source inaccessible.

4. Put a rubber snake in a paper bag and paint the first bab to faint with white paint. Watch the whole troop clear off over the horizon when he comes round and tries to rejoin his mates.

jeff h

Somehow that solution also occurred to this damyankee! I got into a staring match once with a big male as the PH and I were bouncing in a LandCruiser through a particular area in Chirisa (not hunting, just sightseeing, I already had my buff))The PH stopped to shift gears and move again and the baboon really started to get upset. I reached for the rifle -just as a precaution -he was about 30 yards away. The PH said something like -" Either shoot him and pay for it or stop trying to stare him down and leave him alone!". I backed down - but I still remember the incident -and wish (in a small way) that I had shot him.I really hated the idea of the damn critter daring to stare at me! The fine never stopped me - it was the PH's reminder that the odds were somewhat in my favor -and the critter was defending his family/tribe. They are rather impressive looking (certainly scary with the teeth clicking and fierce look) and definitely scary. (I heard that lions avoid packs of baboons)

quote:

Baboons outwit Beitbridge border staff

Ya just can't make this stuff up.