Wild animal runs amock in Cape Town suburbia

The animal, thought to have strayed from its troop, leapt over fences, climbed on roofs and even visited a Kenilworth church.

RESIDENTS in Claremont, Wynberg and Kenilworth had an unexpected guest – a baboon which caused commotion in the neighbourhoods for about eight hours yesterday.

The animal, thought to have strayed from its troop, leapt over fences, climbed on roofs and even visited a Kenilworth church.

Baboon conservationists had been trying tirelessly to remove the baboon from the residential areas, but the wily and hairy figure evaded them by climbing on to roofs.

In Kenilworth, the baboon took a nap at the St James Church before moving to Rosmead Avenue where he climbed on a few roofs.

From there, he made his way to Wynberg where he caused a stir. Frightened residents locked their doors and windows while others watched him, amazed.

The baboon then moved to upper Wynberg, where he evaded authorities by again climbing on roofs and fences. Sitting on a house in Marshall Avenue, he noticed he was being photographed and jumped off the roof – making his way off the property through the gate.

After heading down the road he moved to another street – eventually crossing over the M3 highway towards the mountain.

Jenni Trethowan of Baboon Matters, who confirmed they had a lot of calls from frightened residents, said the baboon was a dispersing male looking for a new troop.

“When male baboons have reached maturity, they usually go looking for new troops. But peninsula baboons are trapped by urbanisation and for them to move from one side of the peninsula to the other, they have to go through residential areas.

“For people, it is a very strange occurrence, but for baboons it is common,” Trethowan noted.

http://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/rogue-visitor-pops-into-wynberg-1.1215274