By the Knysna Bulldog
THE answer to Knysna’s baboon problem is natural biological control. In other words,
we need to reintroduce the baboon’s natural enemy, the leopard.
This might seem a bit drastic, but what choice do we have? All the reasonable
suggestions, from paint ball guns to capture and relocation, have either been dismissed
or ignored. In fact, successive town councils have proved to be so good at ignoring
problems that it has become a way of life.
So we need leopards. Leopards are impossible to ignore and they don’t get lost like
petitions signed by hundreds of tax-paying residents.
Of course there may be some danger to golfers lost in the rough, but leopards will add
interest to the game just as alligators have added so much spice to the game in Florida.
And, unlike baboons, leopards have never been known to lift golf balls from the putting
surface and drop them into water hazards.
The chances of encounters with humans are as unlikely as encounters with forest
elephants, for leopards are nocturnal creatures and you are unlikely to come face-to-
face with one in the normal course of your activities, though late-night dog-walking
will have to be discouraged.
The beauty of the leopard solution is that they will follow the baboons to their lair and
deal with them in the dark so we will not have entrails dangling from open black bins.
They are also tidy eaters and store their food reserves in the branches of trees well
above the ground.
We can also draw comfort from the knowledge that leopards don’t like eating people.
They prefer vegetarians.
There will, however, be other problems. Baboons are smarter than leopards and when
they find themselves trapped between the spotted terror of the night and the citizens of
Knysna they will have to make decisions. Charles Darwin taught us that evolving
creatures seek the best chance of survival so they will gravitate towards the lesser of
two evils. That’s us.
So here’s the thing. The baboons may seek refuge in our streets and gardens.
But it’s not all bad news for it means that our worthy town councillors will finally
notice that there is a problem and they may even do something about it. It’s a lot to
hope for but we must keep optimism alive.
Let the spotted terrors of the night begin!