Expert Gives Safety Tips After Baboon on the Loose in Northcliff, Gauteng Still Unaccounted For

• A baboon that went on the loose in Northcliff, Gauteng, has not been found, and South Africans made jokes
• The primate was last seen roaming the streets on 22 June after it was reported missing a day before
• A baboon expert gave tips on how to avoid baboons and how to handle a baboon sighting

For seven years, Tebogo Mokwena, a journalist at Briefly News in Johannesburg, South Africa, covered a range of topics, including accidents, fires, outbreaks, nature, weather, and natural disaster-related incidents, at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News.

NORTHCLIFF, GAUTENG — A baboon expert gave tips on how to handle a baboon sighting after a baboon was seen roaming the streets of Northcliff, Gauteng, on 21 June 2025. The baboon was still unaccounted for by 22 June.

Expert gives tips after baboon on the loose

According to the Northcliff Melville Times, Dirk Engelbrecht of Wild Serve called on members of the Northcliff community to avoid distracting the baboon. He told them to hide food and empty bird feeders. Engelbrecht also told residents to retreat into their homes and close their doors if they sight the baboon.

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When did the baboon go missing?

The baboon's first sighting was on Frederick Drive. A similar incident happened in the same neighborhood in 2019 when a baboon went on the loose.

Animals on the loose

• South Africans joked after a baboon was sighted on the streets of Benoni, Ekurhuleni, on 28 May 2024, a day after the general elections took place
• A baboon was spotted near Diepsloot in Gauteng in June 2024, days after the Benoni sighting, and netizens were worried about the baboon
• A Zambian man saw a lion roaming the streets around the Kazulunga border in Zambia in August
• A lion went loose near Mpumalanga in the Malalane community, and the Kruger National Park warned residents who spot it not to run away if they encounter the lion

What did South Africans say?

Netizens commenting on eNCA's Facebook post laughed and cracked jokes about the spotting.

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Martin T Tuyakula said:

"Drunk uncles must be kept inside, too. They might swear at it."

Chanel Van Zl said:

"Oh, my soul. Come to Limpopo to our police station and you'll see 100 of them on the roof."

Kaya Kent said:

"Someone's pet is out on the loose."

Sumaiya Vania Sayed said:

"Meanwhile, in the Karoo, we walk past them without any worries."

Elecxn Tumishi Selolo said:

"Ah, in Limpopo we even chill with them."

Noxolo Nokuthula Ndawonde said:

"We drink coffee with them here in Cape Town."

Zvikomborero Marcus Mawuto said:

"Stay away from my pet."

Gordon's Bay residents run away from elephant seal

In a related article, Briefly News reported that two residents in Gordon's Bay, Western Cape, ran away after spotting an elephant seal. The seal was spotted roaming the streets in May 2025.

A video of the spotting went viral, and the video showed two people who were working nearby running in fear. The people in the clip thought that the seal was gaining speed on them.

Source: Briefly News