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R.1, R.2, W.2, W.4, W.7

Beware of the Baboon Bandits

In South Africa, monkeys are moving to the city—and they’re not afraid to steal from humans.

October 2018

By Tod Olson

There are thieves on the streets of Cape Town, South Africa. They are bold and they are fierce.

They will steal a backpack off your back. They will break into your home. They will even take groceries from your shopping bag.

Try to argue with this gang of thieves and you won’t get very far. They don’t understand any language you speak.

Instead, they’ll reply with sharp claws and one-inch fangs. But you have to understand that’s only natural—for a baboon.

There are thieves in Cape Town, South Africa. They are bold and fierce.

They will steal a backpack off your back. They will break into your home. They will take food from your shopping bag.

You can’t argue with these thieves. They don’t speak your language. They don’t speak any language.

Instead, they’ll reply with sharp claws and inch-long fangs. But that’s only natural—for a baboon.

There are thieves on the streets of Cape Town, South Africa. They are bold, and they are fierce.

They will snatch a backpack off your back or break into your home. They’ll even take groceries from your shopping bag.

You won’t get very far trying to argue with this gang of thieves. They don’t understand any language you speak.

Instead, they’ll reply with sharp claws and one-inch fangs. But you have to understand that’s only natural—for a baboon.

Hungry Monkeys

Cyril Ruoso/Minden Pictures (Grocery Shopper); Jim McMahon/Mapman ® (Globe)

Cape Town is the second biggest city in the country of South Africa. Grocery shoppers there are often the target of unusual thieves—baboons!

Cape Town is a surprising place to find wild creatures. It’s the second biggest city in South Africa. About 4 million people live there.

A baboon is a type of monkey found in Africa. Normally, baboons make their homes in forests or grasslands. They don’t walk the streets of big cities.

But the 450 baboons that live near Cape Town don’t have much choice. New houses and buildings have destroyed much of the forest nearby. The baboons have been pushed closer to the city. And guess what? For a baboon, cities are great places to eat.

So the Cape Town baboons sneak into the city to steal food. They dig through garbage cans. They climb into open windows and raid kitchens. They sniff bags and backpacks for food. They grab what they can and disappear.

Cape Town is a strange place to find wild monkeys. It’s the second biggest city in South Africa. About 4 million people live there.

A baboon is a type of monkey found in Africa. Most baboons live in forests or grasslands. They don’t spend time in big cities.

But the 450 baboons that live near Cape Town don’t have much choice. New buildings have destroyed much of the forest nearby. The baboons have been pushed closer to the city. And guess what? For a baboon, a city is a great place to eat.

So the baboons sneak into Cape Town to steal food. They dig through trash cans. They climb through windows and raid kitchens. They sniff backpacks for food. They grab what they can and leave.

Cape Town is a surprising place to find wild creatures. It’s the second biggest city in South Africa, with about 4 million residents.

A baboon is a type of monkey found in Africa. Ordinarily, baboons make their homes in forests or grasslands. They don’t typically walk the streets of big cities.

But the 450 baboons that live near Cape Town have limited options. New houses and buildings have destroyed much of the forest nearby, forcing the baboons closer to the city. And for a baboon, cities are excellent places to eat.

Paintball Wars

Cape Town officials are trying very hard to control the wild baboons. They warn people not to feed the monkeys, and residents get trash cans with locks.

The city also hires guards to patrol certain areas. The guards scare off aggressive baboons using noisemakers and paintball guns.

Some animal rights groups have complained. They say the city is treating the baboons cruelly. But the city says it is helping the baboons. Animals that get food from humans often forget how to survive in the wild.

That doesn’t seem to worry the baboons. They avoid the paintball guns by waiting just outside the city. Then they dash in for five minutes, grab some food, and leave.

Scientists say baboons in the wild spend more than half their time looking for food. The Cape Town baboons find what they need pretty quickly. That gives them plenty of free time to spend resting, grooming, fighting—and planning their next raid.

City leaders want to solve the baboon problem. They warn people not to feed the monkeys. Residents get trash cans with locks.

The city also hires guards. The guards scare off baboons using noisemakers and paintball guns.

Some animal rights groups say the city is treating the baboons badly. But the city says it’s helping the baboons. Animals that get food from people can forget how to survive in the wild.

That doesn’t seem to worry the baboons. They wait just outside the city. Then they go in for five minutes, grab some food, and leave.

Baboons in the wild spend more than half their time looking for food. The Cape Town baboons find food much faster. That gives them a lot of free time for resting, grooming, fighting—and planning their next raid.

Cape Town officials are trying very hard to control the wild baboons. They warn people not to feed the monkeys, and residents get trash cans equipped with locks.

The city also hires guards to patrol certain areas, scaring away aggressive baboons with noisemakers and paintball guns.

Some animal rights organizations have criticized these practices. They say the city is treating the baboons cruelly. But city leaders insist that they’re actually helping the baboons, because animals that get food from humans often lose their ability to survive in the wild.

That doesn’t seem to worry the baboons. They avoid the paintball guns by waiting just outside the city. Then they dash in for five minutes, grab some food, and make their escape.

Scientists estimate that baboons in the wild spend more than half their time searching for food. The Cape Town baboons find what they need pretty quickly. That gives them plenty of free time to spend resting, grooming, fighting—and planning their next raid.