In South Africa, a Village Learns to Live With Baboons — But It May Be the Exception

In South Africa, a Village Learns to Live With Baboons — But It May Be the Exception

By Barry Christianson A baboon troop regularly forages in the scrubland in and around the village of Rooiels, on the outskirts of the Cape Town metropolitan area. In neighboring villages, municipal workers fire paintball guns and blow trumpets to drive baboons out, but most Rooiels residents are opposed to having their troop monitored or harassed. Rooiels residents have developed — and accepted — guidelines to reduce conflict, including securin…