Animal Advocates Claim Court Victory on South African Cape Peninsula Baboon Case 

On the 6^th of December 2024, a South African court issued an order holding the Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (CPBMJTT) accountable for managing the baboon population in the South Peninsula of the country, which is what animal rights activists asked for in the litigation they initiated.

On the 2^nd of May 2024, animal rights activists lodged a Notice of Motion application in the Western Cape High Court in a bid to hold authorities accountable for “failing to find solutions” in the conflict affecting baboons. As nobody was protecting these primates, they became victims of people in areas where humans and baboons entered into conflict. Jenni Trethowan, founder of the animal protection organisation Baboon Matters, and activist Ryno Engelbrecht, claimed that inaction among decision-makers left communities of baboons and humans vulnerable.

Now, Trethowan said to News24, “The Applicants were approached by the Respondent (City of Cape Town) on 27 November to settle the matter out of court. Subsequently, applicants and all parties have agreed to an Order by Agreement in which the City of Cape Town, Cape Nature and SANParks acknowledge and accept accountability to implementation of mitigation strategies…The Order also records that the aforementioned parties must implement the Baboon Strategic Management Plan within a reasonable period of time, in terms of the legal expectations.”

The court order records that the City, South African National Parks (SANParks) and CapeNature implement interim measures in respect of baboon rangers for December and a longer-term provision of baboon rangers from Wednesday 1^st January to June 2027.

Trethowan added, “It must be noted, that for the first time in 24 years, there is now a court order in place in which the City of Cape Town, SANParks and Cape Nature have accepted responsibility for the management of baboons and their duty to provide a safe and healthy environment for both communities and baboons.”

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