[Image: Flickr / Tambako the Jaguar]
A video doing the rounds on social media reveals what a troop of Cape baboons might get up to in your backyard if you’re not around.
Cape Town local Ciara Barry (@ciarabarry10) shared a video on TikTok of three cheeky baboons finding relief from the summer heat by diving and backflipping into her pool.
The hilarity of the situation didn’t go unnoticed by Barry, who quipped that the scene was “the calm before the storm.” And oh, how right she was.
While we all get to see the trio splashing about in the pool like kids on summer break, Barry noted that later on, a grand total of 18 baboons were gallivanting around her home. Eighteen. As in, more than enough to form a small rugby squad, with reserves.
One user @braveliam24 quipped, “Back flipping into your pool is disrespectful”.
To spice things up, four of these cheeky primates were especially rambunctious, turning the afternoon into a baboon-themed reality show—complete with unexpected plot twists.
“When they come to visit, we stay indoors and lock all the doors and windows until the baboon monitors arrive to escort them away,” Barry explained, driving home the importance of not starring in a wildlife episode of When Animals Attack.
Of course, when you live in the Mother City, you quickly learn that sharing the neighbourhood with baboons is just part of the local charm.
In fact, if you have a pool where the baboons roam, then consider your backyard the perfect spot for a cheeky pool party.
Latest Sightings shared a video of baboons taking over the swimming pool in Skukuza last year:
Likewise, Garth Bradley was sitting in his office in Betty’s Bay five years ago when he saw a large male baboon followed by a youngster mooching past on their way for a bit of fun in his pool.
Most baboon troops keep to themselves, minding their own monkey business in the mountains. But the ones that hang around tourist hotspots like Cape Point are a bit of a different story. Bold as brass and twice as clever, they’ve been known to get a bit too chummy—especially if they’ve scored a taste of human snacks.
To keep the peace, the City of Cape Town has rolled out a playbook of measures aimed at balancing conservation with community safety.
“The City consults with locally and internationally recognised experts in baboon behaviour and conservation. Our decisions are based on the latest research,” a spokesperson for the city commented.
At the heart of it all is the city’s Baboon Management Programme—designed to protect both residents and their banana-loving neighbours, ensuring that humans and baboons can coexist without turning the suburbs into a primate playground or an unfair shootout.
[Source: IOL]
