City of Cape Town Secures Budget for its First Baboon Sanctuary

Cape Town's first-ever baboon sanctuary is due to open soon, but the facility will not operate as a tourist attraction—at least for now.

The City of Cape Town recently confirmed it has secured an operating budget for three years to run the facility, which is designed to house two baboon troops that currently spend much of their time raiding urban areas in Simon's Town. Rather than culling the baboons, the City plans to relocate the troops to a sanctuary on municipal land near Scarborough in the south peninsula.

"We've not done this before—we want to make sure that by doing this, we do the best job we can," says Gregg Oelofse, City of Cape Town Environmental Management head.  "Our priority is baboon welfare and providing the best opportunity for them to settle properly without people visiting. Then we'll see how it all goes."

The facility is not intended to generate revenue or tourism outcomes initially, though educational or visitor opportunities may be explored depending on the project's success. "Once the baboons have settled, we can revisit it to see if there are things we can do, like an education centre or a controlled visitor experience," Oelofse explains.

Raiding baboons remain a contentious issue across the peninsula, with Simon's Town on the frontline due to the Seaforth and Waterfall troops frequenting residential streets. Management options remain sharply debated among residents, conservationists, and animal welfare groups, particularly regarding the use of culling, strategic electric fencing, and paintball deterrents.

While the captivity approach has drawn criticism from some advocates who argue the proposed enclosure is too small for free-ranging animals, the City maintains that alternative options to manage persistent urban raiding have run out—and that decisive relocation is necessary to protect both residents and the baboons from escalating conflict.