Jeffrey, the Joburg baboon, will be released ‘in a few days’

The baboon that roamed the streets of Johannesburg for several weeks will be released to the wild in a few days after he was captured on Good Friday.

The baboon, named Jeffrey, was successfully trapped by animal welfare group Claw (Community Led Animal Welfare) after keeping Johannesburg residents entertained for almost seven weeks.

According to Claw’s Cora Baily, the baboon is now isolating at a primate rehabilitation facility in Modimolle, Limpopo having been driven to the area on Saturday morning.

ALSO SEE: WATCH: Baboon on the loose in Joburg suburbs

The baboon is being held in a pre-release enclosure so that he can acclimatize to his new surroundings and get used to the troops in the area.

Baily told The Citizen on Monday the baboon will be released to the wild to join the other baboons “in a few days”.

“[Jeffrey] will be released up on the mountain where other wild baboons live and he can integrate into one of those troops once he has acclimatised to the new surroundings,” she said.

The baboon was reportedly first spotted moving from the Quellerina area in Roodepoort towards Roosevelt Park in Randburg.

Then from there, spotters followed his movements into the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens in Emmarentia, and then into Parktown.

Jeffrey, the Baboon that has been in Johannesburg suburbs for the past few weeks, was successfully and safely trapped…

Posted by CLAW (Community Led Animal Welfare) on Saturday, April 3, 2021

In 2019, Bruce the baboon that made headlines for roaming the streets of Northcliff, Constantia Kloof and Krugersdorp.

READ MORE: Cape’s baboons could be risking diabetes while raiding through trash, study reveals

Following weeks of careful planning, hard work and a pinch of luck, Claw captured the solitary male baboon at the Rock Valley Christian Camp in Krugersdorp.

He was relocated to a primate rehabilitation facility in Limpopo thereafter.

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