Cape Town - Conservation group Baboon Matters say it was high time for by-laws to be firmly applied and for something to be done about dogs running loose in the Simon's Town area.
This is after a female baboon was savagely attacked and killed by two pit bulls at the Da Gama Park on Wednesday evening.
Tim Basset, who works closely with the Baboon Matters, said this was an ongoing challenge in the area and the surroundings where dogs were left to roam the streets.
“Unfortunately, unless people have video or photographic evidence of the attack occurring, there's not much that can be done. However, law enforcement needs to clamp down with harsher fines and start fining people who aren’t keeping their dogs on their properties.
“It would be understandable if the baboon went onto the dog's property, because it would be seen as the dog protecting its environment, but letting dogs roam the streets willy-nilly is unacceptable,” he said.
Basset said Mary was not the first baboon that was killed as a result of human negligence in the recent past.
“Last October we lost an alpha male after he was electrocuted and just a month, before that another male baboon was also electrocuted,” he said.
SPCA spokesperson Jaco Pieterse said the deceased baboon was brought to the SPCA for examination and for X-rays to be taken. He said the report was pending.
Pieterse said SPCA received complaints from time to time about dogs attacking or charging at baboons. He said dog owners had a legal responsibility in terms of the Animal Keeping by-law to ensure that their dogs were safely secured inside their properties.
“If the baboons go into the dog’s property, then there is not much that can be done. However, the issue is when the owners are negligent and leave their gates open or allow their dogs to roam the streets and in the process attack or chase the baboons.
“If this happens, then Law Enforcement has the authority to take action in terms of the Animal Keeping by-law,” he said.
He said the SPCA could only intervene in terms of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962 if the owner deliberately incites or provokes his/her dogs to attack baboons.
“At this point, there is no evidence that suggests that the owner deliberately incited or provoked his/her dogs to attack the baboon,” he added.