Baboon succumbs to injuries after tragic accident
The baboon is suspected to have gone missing from the Cradle of Humankind before it was hit and killed by a car on the N1.
Residents in the nearby areas were on high alert after they had spotted a 14-year-old baboon that was suspected to have escaped from the Cradle of Humankind, west of Johannesburg.
Unfortunately, the seen baboon was hit by a car on the highway between Fourways and Rivonia as it was seeking new territory to live in.
Brendan Murray, a representative from the Owl Rescue Centre, said they were actively engaged in monitoring and tracking the movements of the baboon.
He said the baboon was initially sighted in Bantu, located just outside the Cradle of Humankind. It then proceeded to traverse through Lanseria, crossed over into Manandi, continued on to Sadlebrook, and further proceeded from Beaulieu to Kyalami before finally ending up in Paulshof.
“Usually, these male baboons don’t cross over a busy road but then he did and that’s when he was hit by a car. He settled on the highway for about 20 minutes, dazed like he just had a concussion.
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“By the time we were on our way, he was off the highway and it took us about three hours to locate him. He was in the Rietvallei Nature Reserve, and I traced him down and managed to catch him.”
He said he quickly took the baboon to the Bryanston Avian, Exotic and Small Animal Clinic, a veterinary clinic specialising in exotic and small animals, to receive urgent medical attention and treatment from a qualified veterinarian.
“Sadly, the blunt force trauma of being hit by a car doing 120km caused a lung contusion that bled out in his chest.
“Our vet, Dr Perushan, put in a valiant effort to try to resuscitate him, but the damage done was too severe. Interestingly, it isn’t a young male. Luzanne from the Prime Crew examined his teeth and according to their condition, he is a middle-aged man.
“So the reason why he was trying to get into the city at such a pace is unknown. I can’t say we could have prevented this tragedy, but we’ll try to do better next time. Thanks to everyone who assisted.”
Murray said it is normal for male baboons to move from one troop to the next. “Usually, the older males wouldn’t move troops; it is the younger males that move to get displaced in what is called a displacing male. So, they would leave the troop because they do not want to interbreed within the troop. That is why the male will have to leave and find another troop but this is an older male, so it could be that he wanted to be a no-mate which is also normal for them.”
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