Ryno Engelbrecht has taken the City of Cape Town to court over the matter, but the municipality maintains the move was in the best interest of Kataza.
A volunteer resident marshalls Kataza the baboon as he wanders around the suburb of Tokai on 17 October 2020. Picture: Lizell Persens/EWN
CAPE TOWN – A concerned Cape Town resident has approached the courts to block the relocation of a Kommetjie baboon.
The City of Cape Town said that it would be opposing the High Court application to review a decision to move the primate, known as Kataza, from the Slangkop troop to Tokai.
In recent weeks, residents have started a campaign called “Bring back Kataza”.
Kataza was born in the Slangkop troop and 55 days ago he was relocated to Tokai.
He is collared and tagged and can be identified by a scar on his right cheek.
Concerned residents have been caring for Kataza, ensuring that he crosses busy roads safely.
They said that he was lost, scared and stressed and added that his offspring had been left abandoned since he was moved.
One such resident, Ryno Engelbrecht, explained that Kataza now slept on rooftops, at Pollsmoor prison and at a coffee shop.
“In Tokai, he sleeps on top of buildings, he raids bins, he goes through people’s backyards, he puts himself at risk, he puts the public at risk, specifically road users. The Kataza gets attacked by the Tokai troop males, up and coming males that are vying to be alpha males.”
Engelbrecht has taken the city to court over the matter, but the municipality maintains the move was in the best interest of Kataza because he had tried to form a splinter group with seven females.
