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Baboons burnt in Kleinmond fire slowly being rescued
On Friday, a female juvenile baboon was caught, the first of at least nine identified as being in dire need of veterinary care.
The female juvenile baboon rescued by a number of organisations on Friday. Photo: Cape of Good Hope SPCA/Facebook
A fire that broke out in Kleinmond in the Western Cape earlier this month has had a significant impact on wildlife in the Overberg region.
Rescue efforts from Cape Nature, the Cape of Good Hope SPCA (COGH SPCA) and Baboon Matters to save as many baboons in the area as possible are continuing, with some primates finally being darted and treated for extensive burns.
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Around 5,417 hectares of vegetation have been destroyed, 300 firefighters deployed and millions spent to douse the flames that began in an old Highlands plantation owned by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment earlier this month.
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At the start of this week, reports of badly injured baboons dragging their burnt limbs throughout the burnt forest began to emerge, prompting organisations to band together.
The National Council of SPCAs wrote to Cape Nature and requested permission to bait traps with food, a request that requires a permit.
This is because it is not legal to feed wildlife.
Cape Nature did however grant the Cape of Good Hope SPCA permission to bait traps for a limited time, with terms and conditions.
Since then, sightings of injured troops in the region have poured in.
Rescue efforts
On Friday, a female juvenile baboon was caught, the first of at least nine identified as being in dire need of veterinary care.
The baboon sustained extensive burns to her hands and feet, and is currently being treated. Once healed, she will be returned to her troop.
The COGH SPCA said the aim was to administer onsite treatment to as many baboons as possible, to allow for immediate release. This however depends on the extent of their injuries.
Earlier this week, however, Baboon Matters identified 12 badly injured baboons hiding in a ravine.
The NSPCA estimates the number of baboons in need of rescuing to be around 15.
Rescue efforts are a challenge due to the terrain and them not wanting to scare troops away.
The current heatwave engulfing the Western Cape is also not helping matters.
But, encouragingly, Baboon Matters reported that baboons had begun to approach the area where food was being laid to lure them to be darted.
The true number of baboons in need of assistance is not yet known.
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