BABOON EXTERMINATION AROUND TABLE MOUNTAIN

FIRST THEY KILLED BART AND NOW FRED

Another baboon died by the wisdom of the baboon caretaker squad in Cape Town, last week.
Even though this is happening during an election year and in a DA ruled province, Helen Zille is still the only politician who spoke out about the lack of attention the animals in nature are receiving from our conservation efforts. We will sacrifice their shelter, habitat and food source, to further for our emotional, indiscriminate fynbos recovery efforts.

We all know that the fynbos is being threatened with extinction and needs preservation, but so are many of our animal and insect species who were forced to seek shelter and habitat in an alien environment.

So if you love animals and nature the DA still deserves your vote.
(I am not siding with any party in particular, except for the one that supports the quality of all life, the poor as well as the defenseless. I will also side with the political party that will put his money where his mouth is and not in his/her own pockets)

1 I was just wondering if the conservation training covers animal behavior and psychology. Are they taught how to tune into nature and mentally get into the thought or survival patterns of the habitats that are threatening the perfect vision of co-habitation of animals and plants? Can anyone tell me?
2 What type of student chooses conservation as a career? Is it those who love nature or is it students who do not have the courage to tackle difficult subjects? In the past animals were voiceless victims, but thankfully in today’s society there are many nature lovers who are speaking up for our silent victims and are starting to use the Internet to fight their cause. Soon we will have to train conservation students who are sensitive to the life forms they control.
3 Do the conservation students learn all about laws and botanical names at the beginning of their curriculum, and if they are taught to tune into nature by observing any species, is the training offered at the end of their term? Will some students pass their degree without having had time to build that much needed quality to make holistic decisions? How many first year students have silently sat in nature and ask themselves the question: “What does this particular area need”, and then listen to their intuition for answers?

The baboon squad should have had the sensitivity and knowledge to come up with better solutions than killing the alpha males, who adopted the survival behavior of low class humans. It is so sad that experts, who have been employed to solve the baboon problem, could come up with no other solution than to kill them.

Whenever baboons evolve and adapt they are exterminated or locked I cages in some zoo. By taking out the alpha male every time, they leave behind the weaker ones to lead the troop (often into trouble). For animals to survive in this unfriendly environment, where people squeeze them out of their habitat, chop their shelter down, burn their food supply and take pot shots at them and commit acts of cruelty to deter them, we need the strong, intelligent ones to survive and guide the troop.


There have been lots of animal experiments done, internationally, on how to change the behavior of animals; they include, naming a few methods:
1 Shock treatment when animals behave unfavorable and reward them when they behave the right way.
2 The use of animal whisperers,
3 High frequency sound waves etc.
4 Booby traps in homes, bins and vehicles and other places of unsocial survival attempts by the baboons.
5 Pepper spraying of baboons that approaches vehicles and homes.
6 Supply food in a space that can also become a tourist attraction and provide the necessary funds to manage the existence of the species.
7 Set up trust funds or other initiatives to employ necessary international expert or humanitarian groups to train our conservationists.
(Sometimes we may need to be a bit cruel, in the beginning, to save the lives and existence of a troop of baboons.)

The nature of wild animals is to live in one area but move onto another more suitable habitat when the area becomes to overpopulated for the available food supply. Because the baboons can no longer split the troop and look for food somewhere else, they adapted by getting additional food by raiding the obstructive human habitat. This is a very clever adaptive behavior pattern.

We can prevent this by also being clever and provide alternative solutions.
With the right survival training, who knows, perhaps they will one day learn how to propagate and grow their own food in their protective habitats?


There is a lot we can experiment with and learn from the behavior of these animals and there is a lot they can learn from us if we use methods other than kill the clever ones.

They need our help and understanding not their execution and eventual extinction.


Rosalie - 6 April 2011

Conditions that threaten the survival of tortoises in the wild

Keeping a tortoise as a pet

In South Africa a license is required to keep a tortoise on a domestic property. Tortoises are classified as wildlife, and will fall under the same laws.
In my opinion considering the state and treatment of our natural open spaces and the changing weather patterns, the survival of the species my very well in the future depend on backyard tortoise breeders.

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Although a tortoise is very hardy, they are very defenseless against unnatural conditions.

Situations that threaten tortoises in the wild:

• Changing weather patterns.
• Increasing incidences of field fires.
• Roads bordering conservation areas.
• Plans to develop open spaces in the future.
• 4x4 vehicles and bikes
• Floods

Maintenance of open spaces or conservation land like:

• Lawn mowing
• Artificial irrigation
• The use of industrial lawnmowers.
• Back burning and field fires.
• maintenance vehicles
• The use of insecticides, weed- and grass killers on conservation land.
• The total ignorance or disinterest of some conservation workers and managers.
• Absence or lack of wildlife awareness training of conservation workers and staff.
  

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If a survey is done one may find that the training of conservation workers consists of nearly entirely on how to use machinery and implements for maintaining conservation land without considering the life of the creatures on it.

The conservation training of staff may often be the responsibility of reserve managers who may lack in their duties or knowledge and require supervision themselves.

Birds also have family ties

I once caged a dove overnight because it was injured and could not fly. I noticed two other doves near the cage. The dove would desperately try to get out. The cage was at ground level and I would put birdseed on the outside of the cage for the other two to come and eat and then the one on the inside will feed simultaneously.

On the third day I let the dove out during the day. The other two would remain around her.

The dove got so used to returning to her cage for the night, that it became unnecessary to catch her. She would hop into the cage to retire for the night while the “male and chick” settled in a nearby tree.

I did not know for how long this would be necessary. Unfortunately I adopted a young dog from the nearby squatter camp and he killed the dove as it entered the cage to settle for the night. One cannot domesticate nature without pain.

After this experience I moved the cage within a fenced area. Dogs and cats could not get to it but the doves were free to come and go as they please.

I saved many doves, by locking them up in a safe place for the night if they cannot climb to a branch of a tree for the night.

Later I created low climbers for injured doves to get to the trees. They would hop from one low object to another until they get to the branches of the trees, then it is just a matter of hopping from one branch to another.

We also built an open nest on a pole where we would put nestlings that prematurely fell from a nest. It is always wonderful to see the parents feeding their chick after finding it, then coaxing it into the nearby tree. People so often remove fully feathered nestlings from where the parents can feed them.

It is my belief that birds have a better chance it they are left out in an environment that is natural to them.

When it comes to any bird or animal, stress remains the biggest killer.

Few people have the ability to create such an environment for birds.

Dogs need home - Cape, South Africa

Hi, I’m sending this to you because you are an animal lover – if you are unable to help by adopting either of these two dogs, please forward on to other animal lovers you know.

Thanks so much!

Shirley



-----Original Message-----
From: dyan upton [mailto:dyan@kingsley.co.za]
Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2007 9:03 PM
To: shirleyanne@absamail.co.za
Subject: doggies



Hi shirley, my sister helped with this so i hope its ok now.



Moto is the jack russel. Geordie, the staffie.



Geordie is the most docile lovable dog u could ever hope to own. He suffers from epilepsy which is under control with medication. the meds cost around R45.00 per month. They are a small white tablet which he takes quite willingly, - 6 in the morning and 7 in evening. They make him thirsty so water at all times if very important. They also make him a little hungry so I feed him titbits of fruit and vegie whenever I can. He requires a diet high in good fat which is why I give him Vets Choice which has the highest fat content in dog food, and also any fatty fish or other good titbit every now and then. Geordie loves (obsessed) his walks and if he could he would put his own harness on :-). He is a sun worshipper and will always look for the sun spot. He loves water, so if their is a pool he will be in the water on the first step! He is just learning to do doggie paddle so always make sure someone is around when he is in the water. He does tend to overheat in summer, so water in some way is vital. He listens very well and has a small heart so any shouting or meanness really hurts him emotionally. He really is just a ball of sweetness.



Moto, on the other hand is very different. He is a very strong willed character (as Jack Russels are) but maybe more so. He has a great sense of humour and also loves water although only from a hose. He does not like swimming. He is an absolute sucker for cuddling and even when no one wants to cuddle him, he will get under his blanket and wrap himself up :). Comfort comfort comfort! He is very, very loyal and may find one person that he will be closer too than others although this does not mean that he will be

overprotective to the point of jealousy. I think in my case, he just likes to think of himself as my "other half", so thought he had certain privileges! He is very vocal, which means that he tends to growl to voice his opinion, but his new family must not perceive this as a threat as it is a non threatening growl and I know they will come to understand this when they get to know him.



Both my boys are super friendly. Have never been threatening or bitten anyone. Love attention and give love back a hundred fold. They grew up with cats, so even if they run after a cat, it will just be to give them a fright. Unfortunately for Moto, when we moved to my mother, my sisters two cats where rehomed there and they had never been brought up with dogs, so when my

two boys came bursting in Moto was swiped by the one and from that day forward I have been unable to calm Moto down for other cats. He does not like cats anymore and will go for one if the family has one. He only likes his "brother cat".



Children are not a problem, in fact both dogs prize children as my niece and nephew always played with them when they where around, so they kinda love them for the attention that they get from the children. Although for Gordy's size, he can be a bit boisterous as he jumps alot and can bump a child over. Thats the only downsize to Gordy really, is he doesn't understand his own strength, so he gets excited and forgets he is so big.



Both my boys listen really well even though they have never been formally trained. Although when Gordy is sniffing something, he might take his time responding and Moto for just being who he is, will propably ignore you sometimes because he feels like it at that time, like a naughty child. Moto will test you to see what his limits are, so the family must be constant in their things that they don’t want him to do. Gordy is a good walker on the lead and off, Moto tends to pull on the lead and I would only let him off the lead once you are at the destination where he can run safely. My dogs are good with other dogs except when on lead and Moto can be aggressive if the other dog is unfriendly. Moto will make a lot of noise when another dog walks by but so do alot of other Jack Russels, it

just seems to be something they do.



They both sleep outside in a kennel, with blankies of course!! They have been brought up being around the family constantly, so I think any family that will keep my boys outside away from them will have really unhappy dogs and this can lead to whining, howling and digging for attention. And anyway, I wouldn't let them go to a home that will do that to them. My dogs really are super friendly and once they have said hello to any visitor will go and do their own thing, whether that be sleeping or playing. They are not

pests.



I have never given them bones to eat and have never ever fed them off my plate, but I do give them treats when they have done something good or just for a treat.



I’m sure there is other stuff I have left out, so if there is anything you would specifically like to know, please ask. I would love for you to meet them so u can see them for yourself and am willing to bring them to you at any time. We can meet at a field if u like.



Herewith are my contact details, Sharon Olivier - 074 4639790 or (021) 559 6053. I'd rather not give my address out. I will be leaving mid to end July, but my boys will be with my mother Dyan Upton if they have still not found homes. She is contactable on (021) 534 0700 work and same land line as mine above for home.



Yours faithfully

Sharon, Gordy and Moto!