R10m Cape Town wildlife centre completed for Simon’s Town baboon troops - IOL
A R10 million wildlife centre near Scarborough has been completed for the Waterfall and Seaforth baboon troops, but their relocation from Simon’s Town remains subject to a Wild Animal Captivity Permit.
The Cape Town Urban Wildlife Centre, at Kogelfontein on City-owned land, consists of two separate semi-wild enclosures. The Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team said construction was completed earlier this month.
The City of Cape Town is funding the centre, including its operating costs for four years.
Authorities said the troops spend significant periods in urban areas, exposing them to risks including vehicle collisions, shootings, dog attacks and processed human food. The Joint Task Team said repeated management efforts had failed to reduce the time they spend in Simon’s Town.
The relocation forms part of the Cape Peninsula Baboon Strategic Management Plan and a subsequent Action Plan approved by SANParks, CapeNature and the City in November 2025.
However, the authorities are still awaiting the outcome of the required permit application.
“Due process is being followed in the application for the necessary permits,” the Task Team said.
If approved, the baboons will be captured and undergo veterinary health assessments before being moved. Healthy males will be vasectomised as part of the population-management programme. The troops will remain separate and intact to preserve their social structures.
The Seaforth troop, comprising 16 baboons, will occupy a 1.9-hectare enclosure, providing about 1,100 square metres per animal. The 44-member Waterfall troop will have a three-hectare enclosure, or about 680 square metres per animal.
The site includes indigenous and exotic vegetation, trees, bushes, rocks, sandy areas and ground cover intended to support foraging and digging. The animals will have fresh water, pond systems, shelters, elevated sleeping platforms and specialised feeding.
Their diet will include vegetables, seeds, eggs and dried insects, with food distributed to encourage foraging and enrichment. Veterinary services will be available on site, while the facility will be subject to independent oversight, including inspections by the SPCA and other stakeholders.
The Task Team said the centre would accommodate only the two troops and that oversight reports would be made public.
The plan has drawn strong opposition from baboon activists, who favour a strategic fence around Simon’s Town to keep baboons above the urban edge.
They argue that the underlying problem is non-compliance and unsecured attractants, particularly on government and naval property, rather than the presence of the troops themselves.
“You are not fixing the problem; you are removing the problem,” the activists said.
The SA Navy was approached for comment on attractants, waste and the role of naval properties, but did not respond by the deadline.
The Task Team said further information would be released as the permitting process progresses.
