Baboon Management Overstrand

Publicly available monthly reports are produced about the baboon management project. These contain data regarding urban inucrsions and out of town records of the baboon troops in Hermanus (Voelklip and Vogelgat Troops) and Pringle Bay (Pringle Bay Troop), as well as a breakdown of hotline calls for the month. In addition to this, monthly, seasonal and daily trends of baboon behaviour are reported on.

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This monthly report covers the period from 1 to 31 December 2020.  December is usually a peak season for holidaymakers in the Overstrand, so a large influx of visitors who are not baboon aware was anticipated.  Despite the various lockdown measures in place during December, the influx of visitors had some notable effects on baboon management.  These related particularly to increased levels of waste and other human-derived foods being available to baboons.  The main effects of this were that there was a marked increase in the number of visits into the urban area by certain individuals from the Voelklip Troop.

Furthermore, people walking dogs off the leash in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve and an increased presence of people within the reserve, most notably at the Three Dams, led to a general increase in disturbance to the natural movement and foraging patterns to the Voëlklip Troop.

For the fourth consecutive month, the Vogelgat Troop spent 100% of its time out of town.  This troop continued to spend much of its time within the Vogelgat and Maanschynkop Nature reserves.

Despite an increase in the number of incursions into town by individuals this month, the Voëlklip Troop spent 100% of its time out of town for the second consecutive month. Time out of town for individuals decreased from 96.7% in November to 92.8% in December. The troop slept in the central and eastern sleep sites and did not make use of the western sleep sites this month.

The Pringle Bay Troop spent 100% time out of town this month, while time out of town for individuals increased to 99.9%.  No incursions were recorded for the troop in December in comparison to 13 last month.  Only seven incursions were recorded for individual baboons this month in comparison to 49 last month.  The troop roosted and foraged in the northern part of their home range and interaction with neighbouring troops continued.  PBM1 was deposed as alpha male by BRM1, a wild male natal to the Buffels River Troop.