Baboon sends residents scurrying for cover

From Mashudu Netsianda in Beitbridge

IN a bizarre incident, a huge male baboon yesterday descended on several houses in Dulibadzimu suburb in Beitbridge, where it reportedly left a trail of destruction on household property worth millions of dollars.

According to witnesses, the baboon arrived at a house in the highdensity suburb where it started rummaging for food. The owner of the house then fled and alerted other residents.
“We were actually surprised when we saw a person storming out of her house and running towards our direction. She then told us about the incident,†said a resident, Mr Manuel Maramwa.
Another resident, Ms Marien Gonda, whose house was also “raided†by the baboon said:
“I was actually busy with my household chores when all of a sudden a big baboon jumped into the house.â€
Ms Gonda said the animal gained entry into one of the rooms through the window.
“When it was inside it then closed the door in fear of the mob, which was milling outside,†she said.
She said in the process, the baboon damaged one of the roofing sheets.
The drama drew a crowd of people mostly travellers, shopkeepers and newspaper vendors who gathered at the scene to watch the spectacle.
Business at the nearby Dulibadzimu Bus Terminus also came to a standstill as scores of people, among them, conductors, bus drivers and fruit vendors jostled to catch a glimpse of the baboon.
The animal is said to have jumped into a nearby house, leaving tenants and families scurrying for cover.
“We just saw it approaching from next door and it just shot past our corridors with the mob in hot pursuit,†said a woman who only identified herself as MaMoyo.
She said in a bid to seek refuge from the wild mob, baying for its blood, it eventually got into another house in the same neighbourhood.
One of the people staying at the house, Miss Juliet Moyo, said the baboon went straight into her bedroom and jumped onto the bed, in the process soiling it.
“While inside it extensively damaged my television set, radio and the wardrobe among other things. Right now the fan is no longer functioning,†Miss Moyo said.
When Chronicle visited the house it found Miss Moyo cleaning the room, whose floor was also soiled. She was also rearranging household property, which was left in disarray during the invasion.
She said police were called to the scene, but however, they did not do anything to rescue her.
“Some brave people got inside the house to scare it off and that is when it eventually leapt out and the people chased it until it disappeared into the bush,†Miss Moyo said.

I seem to remember a previous article about baboons robbing pedestrians on a bridge leading into Beitbridge previously.They seem to be getting rather cheeky in that particular area.

On another note,"They did millions of dollars in damages",or about $1.98 US.

Sounds like the makings for a movie. Interesting that it's referred to as an "invasion". Hmm. . .Baboons are now doing home invasions? I suggest a .22 pistol for the residents of that area. Cleaning up a little blood would be better than cleaning up Baboon shit and destruction.