A dozen troupes with more than 350 animals live in nature preserves on the outskirts of Cape Town. But it was very, very scary.ĬURWOOD: Welcome Glen is one of several neighborhoods battling the baboons. And a neighbor came in with a shovel and he went out. VENTER: No, I jumped back, then I ran out of the house, and called for help. And he went: “argh” to me.īaboons looking at the village, ready to raid!Į. And he came into my back sliding door, and suddenly he was right there on my kitchen counter in front of me. But in recent years, animals like “George” have grown more adventurous, seeking supper inside people’s homes.Į. One time one of my friends held up a big stick to it, and “George” grabbed it out of his hand and chased him down the road with the stick.ĬURWOOD: Baboons have long foraged in gardens and garbage dumps. VENTER: Well it’s either “George” or “Eric.” It’s one of the two alpha baboons. VENTER: No it’s not “George,” it’s “Eric.”
Rob and Elizabeth Venter have a slingshot ready as the troupe moves their way.Į. A fully-grown male can weigh a hundred pounds. Baboons tip them over to nibble on table scraps.ĬURWOOD: With piercing, deep-set eyes, rounded snouts, and wiry gray fur, the animals look like tough guys. (Photo: Terry FitzPatrick)ĬURWOOD: Curbside trash bins provide an easy meal. Welcome Glen resident Chris Schulz sprays water to scare a baboon off the roof. On dirt day they come out and they’re a menace. But on garbage collection days, the streets here can be chaos.ĬURWOOD: Chris Schulz rolls out his garden hose.
And if you get in his way, if you get in the way and if you corner a big male, he’s going to go for you.ĬURWOOD: Residents of Welcome Glen enjoy a tranquil village life, with picturesque views of the ocean and the Cape of Good Hope. VENTER: Baboons are fine in their own environment, I know. MARRIOTT: In the winter they seem to stop coming ‘round the streets. Here in the foothills outside of Cape Town, South Africa, suburban development is leading to more and more conflicts between people and baboons. But of course the problem isn’t unique to the U.S. It can be a coyote in the park a bear in a dumpster maybe even a cougar on a jogging trail.
CURWOOD: Increasingly, people who live at the edges of American cities are having close encounters with some big wild animals.
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