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Shark Spotters Partners with City of Cape Town, SANParks, and CapeNature for improved baboon management in Cape Town

Shark Spotters Partners with City of Cape Town, SANParks, and CapeNature for improved baboon management in Cape Town

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA, 23 December 2024 – A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed with the City of Cape Town last week, formalising a three-year partnership for Shark Spotters to assist the authorities with the implementation of the Cape Peninsula Baboon Strategic Management Plan (CPBSMP). Positive discussions are also underway to form similar partnerships with SANParks and Cape Nature, the other members of the Cape Peninsula Baboon Management Joint Task Team (CPBMJTT). 

Importantly, to ensure uninterrupted ranger services, Shark Spotters are working closely with NCC Environmental Services, the current contractors, who have played a pivotal role in baboon management for many years. Together we can confirm that NCC will continue coordinating baboon management and the ranger programme during January and February 2025, with Shark Spotters aiming to take full coordination of baboon management by 1 March 2025. We are deeply grateful to NCC for their support and commitment in facilitating a smooth handover and ensuring minimal disruption to this critical service. 

As part of the transition, all existing staff employed by the programme will be retained, maintaining stability for the team and baboon management services across the Peninsula. This approach aligns with Shark Spotters’ commitment to supporting sustainable employment and skills development opportunities for individuals from under-resourced communities. 

With 20 years of experience in managing human-wildlife conflict alongside the City of Cape Town, Shark Spotters’ holistic approach effectively integrates research, education, and conservation with active management strategies, to reduce conflicts not only between wildlife and communities, but also among community groups themselves. Thus, Shark Spotters will apply this experience collaboratively alongside subject-matter experts, communities and government to implement the CPBSMP.  

“We recognize that the road ahead won’t be easy, but with a transparent and collaborative approach, we hope to usher in a more positive era of baboon management that improves conditions for baboons and communities.” said Sarah Waries, CEO of Shark Spotters. 

The baboon management programme will operate as a separate division within Shark Spotters and will not impact the organisation’s ongoing operations in Cape Town and Plettenberg Bay, including shark safety, research, conservation and education initiatives, which will continue uninterrupted.

This partnership represents a significant step toward fostering a regenerative relationship between Cape Town’s communities and baboon populations through collaboration and sustainable management practices. 

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Contact Information: 

Sarah Waries, CEO 

+27 78 174 4244  

sarah@sharkspotters.org.za