Primate problems in the Kruger National Park
I carefully note with concern that two of the divisions within this ancient order of animals seem to be presenting huge wildlife management problems for Kruger’s managers.
Within the super families Cercopithecoidea and Hominoidea grows an ever increasing and destructive interaction between the two species – m.homo sapiens and Papio cynocephalus. The sub species of both – P.c, ursinus and H.s, touristimo and their destructive interaction in the Kruger National Park are the subject of this post.
Tourists and baboons are on a collusion course that has already, and will continue to upset a basic conservation and wildlife management ethic in the Kruger Nat. Park. Screams of “Shoot the bastards” or “Get rid of them” reverberates around just about every camp after baboons have ransacked living quarters, rubbish bins, caravans and tents and thatch roofing within tourist occupied spaces.
The mess, breakage costs and potential danger of disease left in their urination and dome shaped faeces, not to mention the constant threat of physical interaction are a real cause of concern.
In objective analyses this willful destruction by baboons is simply learned behavior taught by the absolutely pathetic zoo mentality, and the disgusting lifestyles of some tourists demanding their right to dominion over all other beasts…
The cardinal sin is to feed the animals and birds – yet the tourists still do it! And those that don’t physically partake in this absurd behaviour - practice it in so many other ways;
Many tourists believe that they shouldn’t clean up their breakfast or dinner tables – they leave their glutinous remains on the table and simply vacate the table allowing the birds, monkeys and baboons free access to the food. The evidence of this is clearly seen at picnic spots and camp restaurants.
These tourists overfill their rubbish bins – bits of half chewed braaivleis and sous and any remaining wine are unceremoniously discarded – thrown out after a satisfied burp and fart, and their offspring are allowed to tease, threaten and even catch the animals brought forward to sample the bits and pieces of over consumption scattered around the recent feeding frenzy called breakfast, lunch or dinner in tourist lingo.
Raucous, often uncensored, half drunken chatter by tourists often punctuates Kruger’s night sounds just like a troop of baboons shout when threatened by a predator or in alpha status debate. Baboons have already learnt that after these noisy nights, tourists are more likely to bed down without a second thought to clearing away the mess, and that there will very likely be a free food pile of rubbish and dirty dishes to scavenge in the morning.
During the night damp patches of earth around the campsite mark urination spots by tourists too overfilled to make it to the ablution blocks, and out in the Park – where the lions are – the damp patches are joined by bits of tissue paper or disposable nappies and the same half chewed or drunk food and beverage bottles and wrappers.
I have watched the behaviour of baboons – Kruger troops or groups that include a camp in their daily routine, and I have also watched the behaviour of tourists – Kruger tourists that include a game drive, picnic spot and camp within their daily routine. There is little difference between them, and the more these two species interact with each other, the more baboons will start to behave like tourists. If baboons start behaving like tourists, Kruger environmentalists and managers will have real problems dealing with the negative and destructive impact both their lifestyles have on a protected wildlife area.
Neil Heron
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