Conservation authorities are investigating a suspected poisoning incident after an adult female baboon from the Slangkop Troop was found critically ill over the weekend.
Facebook: Cape Baboon Partnership
While on patrol, rangers noticed the female baboon displaying severe symptoms and refusing to move. Concerned for her welfare, the team swiftly captured both the animal and her dependent infant before transporting them to the Cape of Good Hope SPCA for urgent veterinary care.
Initial examinations did not immediately reveal the cause of her condition. However, blood tests later showed that the baboon was suffering from severe anaemia and significant liver damage.
Given the extent of her illness and the extremely poor prognosis, veterinarians made the difficult decision to humanely euthanise the animal. Her young infant was also euthanised, as it would not have been able to survive without its mother.
Further diagnostic testing revealed a prolonged blood clotting time, raising concerns that the baboon may have been exposed to anticoagulant rodent poison.
The incident has highlighted the dangers posed by toxic substances in areas where wildlife and urban development intersect. Conservationists say baboons living along the Cape Peninsula’s urban edge face numerous threats, including vehicle collisions, human-wildlife conflict and exposure to harmful chemicals.
A full post-mortem examination is currently underway, alongside additional testing and an investigation into how the baboon may have come into contact with the suspected poison.
Authorities hope the findings will help determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and prevent similar cases in the future.
(Source: Cape Baboon Partnership)
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