The Chacma baboon (Papio ursinus ursinus) is indigenous to the Cape Peninsula and plays an important ecological role in supporting Cape Town’s rich biodiversity and fynbos biome. Throughout their sub-Saharan range, baboons prefer to use more productive, low-lying land for foraging, and high-lying areas such as cliffs and tall trees in which to roost. However, rural and urban development on the Peninsula has resulted in the transformation of significant portions of low-lying natural land into residential, commercial, industrial (i.e., urban) and/or agricultural (i.e., rural) landscapes, corresponding to a decline in the natural habitat available for baboons. Despite this, the overall baboon population on the Peninsula has increased steadily since 2002. Furthermore, with few hard boundaries defined between human transformed and natural spaces, coupled with inconsistent management efficacy, incursions by baboons into urban and rural spaces, driven by access shelter and human-derived foods, has increased. The resultant rise in negative interactions between humans and baboons has led to adverse welfare conditions for baboons, damage to property and negative impacts on people and pets. Furthermore, conflict between community groups has risen due to differing values and beliefs regarding baboon conservation and management strategies coupled with an information vacuum created by management authorities.

To reduce conflict and improve baboon and community well-being and welfare, an inclusive and collaborative approach between authorities, management bodies and communities is being developed.  The Cape Peninsula Baboon Joint Task Team (CPBJTT), a cooperative structure between three spheres of government – the City of Cape Town, South African National Parks and Cape Nature – are responsible for ensuring the sustainable management of the Cape Peninsula Chacma Baboons. The CPBJTT entered into an agreement with Shark Spotters, a well-established human-wildlife conflict non-profit organisation, to perform operational tasks to implement the Cape Peninsula Baboon Strategic Management Plan including:

• The continuation of the Baboon Ranger Programme on selected troops
• Assisting in the roll-out of an infrastructure programme to establish hard boundaries between natural areas and the urban environment where suitable
• Implementing a baboon population research programme
• Ensure ongoing and regular public updates through the relevant media channels that have been established under the Cape Baboon Partnership banner
• Develop, drive and engage public education and awareness programmes around baboons and the Cape Peninsula Baboon Strategic Management Plan

Shark Spotters consulted widely on a new name for their baboon management branch, and has decided on the ‘Cape Baboon Partnership’ with the aim of connecting communities, authorities and the environment for the adaptive management of baboons on the Cape Peninsula.

While the agreement with the CPBJTT started on 1 January 2025, due to limited timeframes for implementation Shark Spotters contracted NCC Environmental Services(link), who have been the previous service provider for baboon management on the Peninsula for January and February 2025. The Cape Baboon Partnership launched fully operationally on 1 March 2025.

Shark Spotters wishes to thank NCC for their assistance and support in ensuring a smooth transition and for providing their guidance and expertise in baboon-human conflict management

More information around the history of baboon management on the Cape Peninsula and the aims and objectives of the Cape Baboon Partnership will be updated on this website in due time.