News / Regional
Storm over dead baboons
24 Feb 2016 at 11:03hrs | Views
THE Hwange Local Board (HLB) has resorted to shooting baboons, an operation that is now being investigated by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).
Three baboons were shot dead and one was injured last week during the operation. Baboons freely roam the streets in Hwange and Victoria Falls but lately they have become a menace terrorising residents in search of food.
HLB chief executive officer Ndumiso Mdlalose said they had embarked on a 'shoot to scare' operation that saw three baboons being shot to death "by accident."
Mdlalose said the local authority obtained a permit from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority to shoot to scare the problematic animals.
"It's a requirement that when you are controlling problem animals you get authorisation from the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority of Zimbabwe. We had a one week shoot to scare permit and notified stakeholders about the issue. We carried out the exercise last week and the idea was to scare the baboons away but in the process three were killed while one was injured," said Mdlalose.
He said the local board has previously carried a similar exercise after residents complained about the baboons.
Mdlalose said in Hwange they had resolved to carry out the exercise "periodically and targeting problem areas."
"There is a challenge of drought and baboons are visiting human settlements more than they used to because they are looking for food which is not there in the bush. This exercise of shooting them needs to be sustained and we prefer to use noisy guns to scare them away," he said.
SPCA national coordinator Senior Inspector Simon Chikadaya said they were investigating circumstances surrounding the killing of the baboons.
"We have to check with Parks and Wildlife if there are any problem animals there and also check with the local authority to establish the reasons behind the shooting," said Chikadaya.
Late last month, Hwange residents, especially fruit vendors, complained to the local authority that baboons were snatching their goods.
In Victoria Falls, residents recently resolved to petition the wildlife authority over property destroyed by wild animals saying they needed to be compensated for the loss.
Three baboons were shot dead and one was injured last week during the operation. Baboons freely roam the streets in Hwange and Victoria Falls but lately they have become a menace terrorising residents in search of food.
HLB chief executive officer Ndumiso Mdlalose said they had embarked on a 'shoot to scare' operation that saw three baboons being shot to death "by accident."
Mdlalose said the local authority obtained a permit from the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority to shoot to scare the problematic animals.
"It's a requirement that when you are controlling problem animals you get authorisation from the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority of Zimbabwe. We had a one week shoot to scare permit and notified stakeholders about the issue. We carried out the exercise last week and the idea was to scare the baboons away but in the process three were killed while one was injured," said Mdlalose.
He said the local board has previously carried a similar exercise after residents complained about the baboons.
Mdlalose said in Hwange they had resolved to carry out the exercise "periodically and targeting problem areas."
"There is a challenge of drought and baboons are visiting human settlements more than they used to because they are looking for food which is not there in the bush. This exercise of shooting them needs to be sustained and we prefer to use noisy guns to scare them away," he said.
SPCA national coordinator Senior Inspector Simon Chikadaya said they were investigating circumstances surrounding the killing of the baboons.
"We have to check with Parks and Wildlife if there are any problem animals there and also check with the local authority to establish the reasons behind the shooting," said Chikadaya.
Late last month, Hwange residents, especially fruit vendors, complained to the local authority that baboons were snatching their goods.
In Victoria Falls, residents recently resolved to petition the wildlife authority over property destroyed by wild animals saying they needed to be compensated for the loss.
Source - chronicle
