Beloved Cape Town baboon, Kataza, might become a Limpopo resident

LIMPOPO – Kataza is a beloved baboon in Cape Town, who was relocated from the Slangkop Troop to Tokai.

The matter of the Kommetjie baboon’s future was recently heard in the Western Cape High Court after Ryno Engelbrecht took the City of Cape Town to court over his relocation.

A change.org petition ‘Take Kataza back’ has since amassed more than 28 809 signatures, and a Facebook page has also been started.

The Cape of Good Hope SPCA has since intervened and, in a statement, say they have “spent an extensive period of time monitoring the integration, movements and behaviour of SK11/Kataza since we were notified of his relocation to Tokai”.

They explained how they hoped he would integrate and be able to live out his natural life on the Peninsula. “We are now concerned about his well-being and welfare, and that of other animals and the public in general. For this reason, we approached the City of Cape Town on 21 October with a proposal to capture SK11/Kataza and relocate him to the Riverside Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Limpopo,” their statement reads.

The SPCA said a representative of the City of Cape Town responded to them on 22 October, to inform them, inter alia, that the city “does not agree with certain statements expressed in our correspondence regarding the condition and behaviour of SK11/Kataza”.

The representative also informed them that the City of Cape Town does not own the wild baboons in the Cape Peninsula and that the SPCA would need to approach Cape Nature for the relevant permits.

The SPCA submitted an application with Cape Nature on 23 October to relocate Kataza. “This is the only solution for SK11/Kataza at this stage. Relocating SK11/Kataza back to his natal troop in Slangkop is not an option as he will be met with the same reintegration challenges. We are particularly concerned about his raiding behaviour escalating in his natal territory, which may result in dire consequences for him,” their statement explains.

Review spoke to Mias Venter, CEO from Riverside Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, who said “the current integration of Kataza by the City of Cape Town is known as a forced integration”.

Venter, when asked about how they will ensure that there are no reintegration challenges for Kataza, said three parts should be understood when answering the question.

1. Background:

The City of Cape Town has a protocol in place to manage the Cape Baboon population, according to said protocols, certain actions by individual baboons would trigger the appropriate protocol response.

The protocols are managed and enforced by the City of Cape Town’s Baboon Technical Team (BTT). We have it on record that the decision to relocate Kataza from his native Slangkop troop in Kommetjie to Tokai was a decision that was not taken by the BTT but rather that of an individual member of the BTT i.e. Julia Woods. Dr. Ernst Baard from Cape Nature (also a member of the BTT) confirmed this statement.

The academic input as to the rationale for the relocation of Kataza was given by Prof. Justin O’Riain from the University of Cape Town (BTT member) who said the relocation of an individual animal is utilised in order to protect the genetic health of a taxa and that the relocation of young males is essential in meta-population management. However, the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) clearly states that young Chacma baboon males tend to migrate between troops and high-ranking males and frequently lose their status to younger migrants. Thus, O’Riain’s academic input stands in stark contrast with the statement made by SANBI.

Applied science further dictates that the taxon in question has a natural ability to safeguard its own genetic pool by young Chacma males’ tendency to emigrate between troops. This natural inbuilt safeguard is further strengthened by the tendency by females that will remain in their natal troops for generations, thus further mitigating the risk O’Riain had wished to address.

To summarise: There is no credibility, according to the applied scientific evidence, that intervention was required by relocating Kataza with the intention of addressing O’Riain’s concerns in respect of meta-population management in order to safeguard the genetic health of the taxon in question. Further strengthening this statement is the applied scientific evidence that a troop formation of approximately 40 animals is well within the scope of what would be regarded as a normal functioning well-established troop, thus such a troop cannot be regarded as a meta-population and as such requires no intervention or micromanagement with relation to the concerns raised by a member of the BTT in order to safeguard the genetic health of the taxon in question.

Further cause of grave concern is the fact that the decision made to relocate Kataza was done without consultation with all members of the BTT.

2. The current situation:

Kataza is currently in Tokai. The current status quo of forcing Kataza to integrate with the Tokai troop is not scientifically founded (referring to actual methodology and procedure utilised to physically remove a baboon and relocate the animal) and as such, the animal is displaying tell-tale signs of not integrating. The health and well-being of this animal is adversely affected with trauma, stress and countless wounds.

A key point to be addressed is the fact that Kataza is presenting with acute stress. Furthermore, in an altercation with other males in the Tokai troop, Kataza sustained serious wounds and as a result, lost a considerable amount of blood.

Further strengthening our view that Kataza is not integrating is the fact that there has been escalating raiding behaviour displayed in the Tokai area. Residential homes are being raided and he recently invaded a school where young learners are being placed at risk.

Also high on the agenda is to address the public outcry to relocate Kataza back to Kommetjie. The fact of the matter is that with the amount of stress and injury this animal had to endure; the wounds he sustained, the fact that he now no longer has a left canine, as well as the amount of time he has spent outside the social structure of his native troop – there are quite frankly no guarantees for a successful re-integration. The mere fact that this animal has been maimed (complete loss of canine) will play a significant role in his social standing, but more importantly, this animal is now hindered in his natural ability to dominate and at worst – he will not be able to effectively defend himself from other males.

Whether or not Kataza will be successfully re-integrated back to Kommetjie or not, is not the key factor, more importantly is the fact that he will sooner or later display raiding-behaviour and as a result, be placed on the current protocols as mentioned above. Said protocols then dictate euthanasia.

From a purely scientific perspective, the relocation of Kataza back to his native troop would be a preferred solution, however from an animal-specific health point of view, and for reasons as stated above, there is no justifiable rationale to relocate this animal back. Furthermore, I am always reluctant to voice moral objections because more often than not, these objections are subjective. In the case of Kataza, however, a good argument can be made that this animal’s life is in danger by re-introducing him back into his native troop for the reasons of euthanasia as mentioned above. “We need to be cognisant of the fact that we are not dealing with a natural migration, but rather with a man-made, forced re-introduction,” Venter said.

Also on the agenda is a call that a collective coordinated effort is needed to address the issue of SK11, the problem statement is however not just the life and well-being of one animal, but the entire baboon population of the Cape Peninsula and per extension – primate conservation on a national level.

3. Points in mitigation of challenges with regard to proposed relocation to Riverside.

First and foremost; I would like to categorically state that we were not involved in the decision-making process of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA to relocate Kataza from Tokai to Riverside. The SPCA acted autonomously well within their mandate in order to safeguard the life of an animal and to put an end to the animal cruelty Kataza has been exposed to.

We were contacted by the SPCA that expressed a concern for the health and well-being of an animal and as such, we were requested as to our willingness to enrol Kataza into our rehabilitation programme and we accepted the said request.

Riverside Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre (RWRC) is a national and internationally recognised South African Government registered wildlife rehabilitation centre, and is registered in terms of the provisions of the National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act.

Driven in part by the IUCN red listing process, wildlife rehabilitation and re-introductions grew and redefined our role as partners in biodiversity conservation. Wildlife rehabilitation is an interdisciplinary, systems-oriented, and inclusive response to conservation dilemmas exacerbated by approaches that were too narrowly focused, fragmented and exclusive.

Riverside provides facilities for Organs of State, Action Groups, as well as the public to bring orphaned, injured and sick wild animals, where we coordinate the medical, nursing, husbandry care and rehabilitation programmes for these animals.

What happens next?

If Cape of Good Hope SPCA is successful in their request to the City of Cape Town and Cape Nature with regard to the proposed relocation of Kataza from Tokai to RWRC, he will be enrolled in our rehabilitation programme. As such, Kataza will be integrated with other Chacma baboons currently in the programme.

Our standards and methodology are not only world-leading and best practice, but are based on applied scientific research and generally accepted norms in ethology, biology, physiology, medicine, behaviour, natural history of both fauna and flora, and of course, wildlife rehabilitation biology.

Thereafter?

The ultimate aim of the rehabilitation programme is the successful release of the troop back into their natural habitat. We as a nation are dealing with a very complex and emotional matter regarding Kataza, as clearly displayed by the local and international public outcry.

It is our view that not one single primate should be put in a position where either euthanasia or relocation should prove as a final solution. Thus, it is our agenda to find solutions to the current issues of baboon management, not just in the Cape Peninsula, but also on national level especially with regard to primate conservation.

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