Simon's Town Baboon Troops Relocated to Kogelfontein Amid Fierce Public Backlash
- Capture and relocation of Simon's Town's Waterfall baboon troop began on 13 November 2026, with 45 baboons moved to a wildlife centre in Kogelfontein
- Over 16,000 people signed a petition opposing the operation, and the Freedom Front Plus demanded full permit disclosure and independent welfare monitoring
- CAPEXIT Councillor Jack Miller accused the DA of deliberately timing the relocation after local government elections to protect its 56% vote share
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Dozens of baboons from Simon's Town have been moved to an enclosed wildlife centre outside their natural habitat, sparking an outcry from animal welfare groups, opposition parties, and thousands of concerned South Africans.
According to reports, the Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team, made up of SANParks, CapeNature, and the City of Cape Town, confirmed that permits were issued on 12 November 2026. The following day, 27 members of the Waterfall troop were captured and transported to the Urban Wildlife Centre at Kogelfontein on the Southern Peninsula.
A further 18 were relocated on 14 November, with all animals arriving safely. Three wildlife veterinarians screened every baboon before release. The females received contraceptive implants, none of the males were vasectomised, and one elderly female was euthanised after screenings revealed a chest growth, fluid in her bowels, and no teeth. A single female remains in Simon's Town and will be captured once she has settled.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA monitored the operation but was careful to state that its presence should not be read as an endorsement. The organisation remains opposed to permanently confining healthy, free-ranging baboons.
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Critics are not convinced
Authorities say the 2.31-hectare enclosure at Kogelfontein, situated on City-owned land next to Table Mountain National Park, exceeds Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries standards for Old World Primates by roughly 5.5 times. The enclosure includes natural riverine terrain, a cooling pond, sleeping platforms, climbing structures, and daily foraging enrichment. The facility is closed to the public, and the baboons will receive lifelong care without reproducing.
The relocation is described as a last resort, implemented under the Cape Peninsula Baboon Strategic Management Plan and Action Plan adopted in November 2025. Authorities cite escalating human-baboon conflict in Simon's Town, limited natural habitat, and public safety as the driving factors.
Critics, however, are far from reassured. A spatial analysis by the non-profit Dear South Africa found that the enclosure covers less than 1% of the Waterfall troop's natural range. More than 16,000 people signed a petition against the capture, sterilisation, and permanent confinement of the animals.
Freedom Front Plus and CAPEXIT push back hard
The Freedom Front Plus in the Cape Town Metro called for immediate disclosure of all capture, transport, and holding permits, as well as the full operational plan. The party urged authorities to explore non-lethal alternatives such as exclusion fencing, which has worked in Tokai and Constantia, and proposed that Kogelfontein be repurposed as a rehabilitation centre for injured or orphaned wildlife rather than a permanent home for healthy wild troops.
CAPEXIT Councillor Jack Miller took a sharper line. In a press release dated 14 November 2026, he accused the DA of deliberately delaying the operation until after Cape Town's local government elections, in which the party secured 56% of the vote. Miller and Liberty Fighters Network representative Reyno de Beer have also challenged the legal authority of the Joint Task Team and are calling for the appointment of an Environmental Commissioner in the Western Cape.
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Source: Briefly News
