NCC Environmental Service has been awarded a one-month contract to continue running the City’s urban baboon programme for December, albeit at reduced capacity during the busy holiday season
The environmental consulting company has been appointed through a request for quotation process, which was advertised by the City last month, to ensure a presence of baboon rangers in an effort to keep troops out of the urban area.
In August, the City unexpectedly cut its contract with the NCC short due to “insufficient budget” for its services beyond November 30. NCC was initially contracted to manage the urban baboon programme and provide rangers until December 31.
In October, the City advertised a request for quotations for baboon rangers during the festive season, as “a temporary measure.”
NCC will now field baboon rangers until Tuesday December 31.
“Due to limited funding, the number of rangers monitoring the troops during this time will be less than before. As such, residents and businesses are kindly advised to please practise responsible waste management at all times and be vigilant,” the Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team, made up of representatives from SANParks, CapeNature and the City, said in a statement.
Other steps that would be taken for the transition to a more sustainable urban baboon programme, the task team said, included the interim solution of appointing a contractor for a 12-month period, on a month-to-month basis, and, as a longer term solution, creating a partnership with a non-profit organisation that could perform selected operational tasks and receive grant funding as well as funding and sponsorships from external sources such as affected communities, businesses and the general public.
NCC said, in a statement on Facebook, that it was grateful for the opportunity to continue providing its services, but it noted that a “funding shortfall” from the City, which finances much of the project, meant there would be 25% fewer rangers on the ground.
“This will result in a loss of vital income for our hard-working rangers and will inevitably lead to baboons spending more time in the suburbs. To minimise both human-baboon conflicts and job losses, we will be launching a fund-raiser to attempt to bridge this financial gap.”
To close the gap in funding, NCC launched a BackaBuddy campaign on Tuesday November 19 to raise R250 000 to cover staff salaries and associated costs.
Parkscape founder Nicky Schmidt said: “While we are grateful for an extension, it is deeply concerning to note that limited funding (a direct result of the City’s own error), has resulted in fewer monitors over the busiest time of year. The impact on our communities, our baboons and the monitors remains yet to be seen.”
Cape Peninsula Civil Conservation chairperson Lynda Silk said the 25% reduction in baboon rangers on the peninsula was crushing news.
“At this time, we don’t know if this reduced number of baboon rangers in service translates to fewer baboon troops managed, less communities supported, or if there will be fewer baboon rangers assigned per troop. None of these changes are acceptable and all mean that there will be fewer rangers to work effectively in teams to keep baboons from urban areas.
“We do know that on top of these reductions in numbers of baboon rangers on the ground, as visitors with no experience of baboons flood the peninsula for the summer and festive season, the hours baboon rangers will serve will be shortened by two hours each day. Reduced hours of service in summer, when it stays lighter later, will further compromise the ability to keep baboons out of the urban areas and will likely significantly heighten conflict in all baboon footfall areas.
“Without a full ranger complement, baboons may well roam across the peninsula through urban areas they have not frequented for a long time,” Ms Silk said.
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