Baboons destroy Mpuma plantations


Mbombela - Baboons have been blamed for 70% of damage caused to commercial forestry plantations in Mpumalanga.

Spokesperson for Komatiland Forests (KLF) Leslie Mudimeli said the financial loss would result in retrenchments.

He said: “As our survey indicated that 70% of the plantations are being destroyed by the animals, there's no question that many people will be retrenched.

"'I can't tell you how many jobs will be lost, but I can assure you that jobs will be lost."

Mudimeli said assessments of the damage caused by baboons on KLF forests in Mpumalanga were done in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2009.

"The assessments showed that the problem seemed to be escalating. The next cycle of snapshot assessments will be done this year,” said Mudimeli.

He said baboons destroyed trees by stripping off the bark, often ring-barking them.

He was unable to put a monetary value to the damage incurred in any one year, but said it would require a team of people hired specifically to do a more in-depth study.

In the interim, KLF has permits to trap-and-shoot baboons as prescribed in the protocol for the management of Chacma baboons causing damage in Southern African commercial plantations.

Mudimeli said KLF had not yet found an effective, non-lethal method of controlling the primates.

Moratorium

"The procedure is only implemented in areas where damage has become unsustainable for business to continue and when all possible non-lethal alternatives have been tried," he said.

"We want to work together with other concerned parties to find a sustainable solution to reduce the damage caused by baboons.

"'The non-lethal methods were tested, but have all failed."

Meanwhile, pressure groups calling for a moratorium on the trap-and-shoot method will argue their case before the forest stewardship council on Wednesday.

The chairperson of Geasphere, Philip Owen, an environmental NGO, said they have lodged a complaint with the council after learning that 1 914 baboons had been captured and that culling permits had been issued in Mpumalanga between May 2009 and December 2010.

"In the letter we clearly expressed that we want a moratorium on the killing of baboons in the timber industry.

“’About 20 nature and environmental conservation organisations have signed the letter, endorsing the complaint," he said.