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22 October 2024
Municipal Manager: Dr Dean O’Neill
Overstrand Municipality
Since the implementation of tool usage in Pringle Bay, there has been improvement in managing the Pringle Bay troop. Prior to this implementation, the Pringle Bay troop spent the vast majority of their time in town every, often remaining there all day. The team has successfully managed to keep the troop out of town for larger periods, and in some cases, for the entire day. This change has led to significant decrease in reports of opportunistic raids and assertive house raids, resulting in less property damage.
Shortly before REM1’s death, a new male joined the troop, which led to increased fighting as males competed for dominance and access to females. REM1, as one of the alphas, played a key role in defending the troop against new males. With his absence, the troop has experienced even more fighting. Following REM1’s death, three additional males have joined the troop, bringing the total to four new males and six competing males overall. This has resulted in frequent fights, several baboon-on-baboon injuries, and has caused the troop to split up excessively almost every day.
The Pringle Bay troop began sleeping in town occasionally since November 2021, following the moratorium on tool usage in that time. Since Overstrand Municipality (OM) took over from HWS in July 2023, there have been reports of the Pringle Bay troop sleeping in town a few evenings each month. This steadily increased, with the troop sleeping in town for nearly half the evenings in December 2023 and January 2024, peaking in March and April 2024 when they were found sleeping in town almost every evening.
Since the soft release of tools at the end of May 2024, and particularly following full implementation of the Adaptive Baboon Management Plan at the end of June 2024, there has been a reduction in the troop’s overnight presence in town. However, despite this decrease, they still spend some evenings in town, occasionally returning after the team leaves the field at 18:00.
As highlighted in the information document shared on 29 April 2024, it has always been OM’s plan to implement rangers to work in the evenings to discourage the troop from using roofs as sleeping sites. OM’s initial plan was to use skid units for this purpose. However, due to the current shortage of vehicles, the municipality has been unable to fully implement the skid units. OM still plans to incorporate it in the future to help move the troops off roofs, both during the day and in the evenings.
Plans to hire more staff began three months ago and approval has now been granted. The team is finalising contracts and training for the new rangers, with an anticipated starting date in late October or early November. There will be two overlapping teams; a morning team that will begin work before sunrise to more effectively prevent the troop from moving into town early in the day, and an evening team that will work until after sunset to block the troop from returning and sleeping in town at night.
The two teams will also overlap during the daylight hours, thus having more staff in the field. This approach aims to create stronger lines to keep the troop out of town and enhance the ability to find, follow, and regroup the troop when they split up due to the fighting males.
Security groups and neighbourhood watch groups in Pringle Bay will receive updates regarding the exact positions and movements of the evening staff. Information regarding the start date and working hours will be shared ahead of the implementation date to keep everyone well-informed and prepared.
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