Baboons in Simon's Town are allegedly surrounding South African Navy facilities, feeding off poor waste management, and have become so accustomed to humans that standard deterrents are no longer effective. Currently, groups of baboon conservation activists are raising the alarm as two service members could be forcibly removed by the City of Cape Town, which is demanding accountability from the Navy.
Campaigns run by groups such as Baboon Management Western Cape and Baboon Matters argue that human error contributed to the behavior now being used to justify the removal of animals from their historical ranges.
Official records indicate that concerns regarding the Waterfall troop and access to human-derived food have existed for over a decade. Studies conducted around 2009 and later published via UCT described the Waterfall troop as already habituated to humans after prolonged contact; the animals regularly descended into Simon's Town to forage for human-derived food.
Reports point to military installations as feeding centers
By 2013, reports from Human Wildlife Solutions repeatedly documented issues related to the Waterfall barracks. A March 2013 report noted that poor waste management at the Waterfall barracks remained a problem and described the location as a strong lure for the troop. In May of the same year, the service provider warned that changing the troop's behavior would be extremely difficult as long as inadequate waste management persisted at the barracks. By June, reports recorded the troop raiding bins and consuming leftover refuse around the site.
The problem persisted in subsequent years. According to an Urban Baboon Programme report from January 2023, inadequate waste management at SA Navy sites remained a factor attracting the Waterfall troop to Simon's Town. By July 2024, management reports characterized several SA Navy sites in the area as 'human-derived feeding centers,' allowing baboons to move between these locations and deeper into the urban environment.
Recent reports from Cape Baboon Partnership have also raised questions about how historically the time spent on Navy lands was reflected in management data. A June 2026 report indicated that the previous management program did not function on SA Navy lands, and time spent on these territories was excluded from the traditional 'Time outside city' metric, even if Navy lands were within the city limits. The report acknowledged that this could have inflated the amount of time counted as outside the city and 'clouded the reality of the conflict on the ground.' It was also noted that the Waterfall troop continued to use Navy barracks buildings as sleeping areas while discussions with SA Navy representatives continued regarding reducing attractants and finding long-term solutions.
Navy territory along Simon's Town has become home to baboons
Rhino Engelbrecht, a member of Baboon Management Western Cape and a baboon welfare advocate, stated that the Navy bore responsibility for what he called years of negligence. Engelbrecht noted: 'Their complete negligence and disregard for municipal waste and animal ordinances, as well as environmental legislation, has seriously habituated not only baboons but also other wildlife at the borders of the National Park and the UNESCO World Heritage Site.' He added: 'For at least the last 17 years, baboons in Simon's Town have paid the price for the Navy's reckless behaviour.' Engelbrecht reported that animals were deterred using paintball guns and 'bear bombs,' while unsecured waste and buildings continued to attract them to urban areas.
'They are lured into the urban area by unsecured waste and dilapidated unsecured buildings where they are attacked by dogs, hit by cars, poisoned, electrocuted, shot by intolerant community members, and simultaneously killed by authorities for scavenging behaviour,' said Engelbrecht. He also questioned the long-term consequences of removing the Waterfall and Syferth troops. He warned that the Da Gama, Smithsvinkel, and Groot Olifant Bos troops remain in the wider area, and unresolved attractants could continue to draw baboons into Simon's Town. 'Since the Action Plan stipulates that no baboon-proof bins will be installed in central Simon's Town, these troops could easily end up in unsecured human-derived food waste and occupy dilapidated unsecured Navy buildings,' he stated. Engelbrecht characterized the alleged oversights as serious. These accusations were forwarded to the SANDF for comment. Information provided by Cape Argus further states that community members previously paid for baboon deterrence interventions on Navy sites, including modified bins and waste cages, but sometimes bins were left outside the cages or not properly secured.
When contacted for comment, the City of Cape Town stated: 'All enquiries regarding baboons are directed to the Task Team. Please note that comments from the Task Team cover the City as a team member, and therefore the City has no comments beyond those provided by the Team.' The SANDF was asked about historical management reports, waste allegations, and compliance notifications. The SANDF stated it would provide comments by Thursday.