(Edited by Zhang Weijing).
According to CNN on November 27, about 400 baboons roam around the city on the outskirts of Cape Town, the legislative capital of South Africa, and local residents are enduring the troubles caused by the baboon invasion.
Baboons break into residents' homes, rummage through food, and sometimes get into fights with residents' pet dogs. Some baboons will break into supermarkets and snatch fruit right under the nose of the shopkeeper. Some baboons also destroy the crops of local farmers and winemakers in search of food. They shuttle back and forth in the garbage bins, carrying a large amount of the virus with them, which poses a threat to the health of local residents.
Esme Beamish, a baboon researcher at the University of Cape Town's African Community and Wildlife Research Institute, explains, "Dolphin-tailed baboons usually live in flat lowlands, but in recent decades they have been forced to migrate to nearby hillsides as property development has been developed. The human living environment is loved by baboons because of their abundant food and wide space for movement. ”
Locals** and residents are trying to alleviate the problem of baboon infestation in the city by using "baboon-proof" dumpsters and fencing to prevent baboons from entering. In some cases, residents also shoot baboons with shotguns, and those that are particularly aggressive are euthanized.
After these measures, the number of baboons in the city has decreased slightly, but there are also concerns that if the baboons are evicted too far, they may disappear from the surrounding natural areas.