1. Chacma baboons
Yesterday, Tali Hoffman (one of our consultants) was invited to speak at the first ever baboon management workshop – which was hosted by the City of Cape Town at the Civic Centre. She very kindly managed to get my name on the guest list (thanks also to Maike Hamann) and I spent an illuminating – although protracted – day listening to the various issues raised. Is “interminable” too strong a word?
Although there were some interesting points raised by representatives from Cape Nature Conservation and SANParks, I was most impressed by Tali and her colleagues from the Baboon Research Unit (BRU) at the University of Cape Town, Dr Justin O’Riain and Esme Beamish . In fact, they were just about the only speakers from whom I felt I had actually learned something. Something concrete, that is, as opposed to what seemed primarily like opinion, speculation and even (empty?) political rhetoric. The insidious influence of the “bunny-hugger” element was, of course, well in evidence during the course of the meeting. I am always torn between irritation and amusement when people use the word “science” as if it were some filthy imprecation. Science is not (and never has been) a kind of self-aware monster, with desires, intentions and schemes of its own. Some of those present yesterday would do well to consider this.
2. Baboon Management Workshop 2009
Hats off to Marlene Laros (the workshop facilitator), who, somehow, managed to keep the focus largely where it should be – on the baboons. Any interface of this nature, involving strongly polarised views and high emotions, is always a tricky beast to handle, so I suppose the day could have been a lot less constructive. The road ahead is, however, a long one. I fear that aside from fleshing out certain issues and perhaps achieving clarity on the stances of various governmental bodies, not much was actually resolved yesterday. Speaking as a relatively disinterested outsider, it seems to me that one of the main sticking points arose around the question of “mandate”. This seemed to be a perennial issue during the course of the day and, so far as I can tell, translates as: “who is going take responsibility?” This in turn can be read as “who is going to pay?” Still, at the very least, the topic has been finally been brought out into the light of day (and science?). Perhaps I don’t know enough about this obviously incendiary topic, but it seems to me that everyone – the baboons included – would be better off leaving these management issues in the hands of the suitably “mandated” Baboon Management Team (BMT). Now, could someone just spot them some cash?
Photo 1 by: Tali Hoffman
Photos 2 – 11: Ross Cowlin
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- 3. The Civic Centre
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- 4. Photo time
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- 5. The UCT team
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- 6. Tali being interviewed
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- 7. Justin O’Riain and Tali Hoffman
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- 8. Tali answering Q’s
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- 9. Tali presenting
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- 10. Q & A
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- 11. Documenting the workshop
