Locals were distraught following the news that Cape Town’s latest social media star, the pasta-eating baboon, was reportedly euthanised because of his behaviour.
Contradicting news has come to our attention and we have confirmation that the baboon is actually still alive. Human Wildlife Solutions confirmed that he was seen this morning alive and well.
The baboon stole many Capetonian hearts when he politely sat down for an Italian food binge at Jonkerhuis restaurant.
The news of his demise spread on Saturday, September 14, 2019 at the Cape Town Animal Conference when a member of the Baboon Matters Trust said that the baboon from the recent viral video was euthanised. Jenni Trethowan from the Baboon Matters Trust falsely accused Human Wildlife Solutions of euthanizing the baboon.
In her statement she said:
“He’s been killed for being an aggressive baboon because he had the audacity to walk into a human space. Now we only have four remaining baboons in Scarborough of an original troupe of 18 and the death penalty is on them. We have until the end of the month to come up with a solution.”
You can view the video of the Cape Town Animal Conference here:
Locals feel as though the “management” of baboons has been failing the community and the troupes for years now.
“Yes.. This is the truth of what is happening to our iconic creatures. If the authorities are allowed to continue this carnage they call baboon management we will soon have none of these Cape Baboons left,” said Nikki De Villiers Gray on a Facebook post.
https://www.facebook.com/jamie.pyatt.5/videos/pcb.1410676585748168/10156377173647256/?type=3&theater
A recent statement from Baboon Matters about the Jonkerhuis Male baboon confirmed how the confusion came about:
“Baboon Matters would like to clarify what we know regarding the male baboon now famous for sitting down to eat a bowl of Spaghetti Carbonaro at a well-known Cape winelands restaurant recently. Video footage of the male, known fondly as Spaghetti, went viral with thousands of people commenting on and laughing about the well-mannered baboon eating lunch amongst fascinated diners. At the time we warned that in terms of the current management guidelines the male would be killed as he had entered human occupied space and had not moved off when humans approached him,” said the statement.
“Late last week I was contacted by a reliable source who told me the male had been killed. I contacted the service provider HWS to confirm if my information was correct and was told that they are not an “information center”. I reminded them that the public wanted information but HWS would neither confirm nor deny whether the male had been killed or not. On the weekend I was told, by a reliable contact, that the male had been killed. Today, I have been told that it was planned to kill him this week. Baboon Matters always makes every effort to ensure our information is correct but in this instance the service provider would neither confirm nor deny the accuracy of my informants. Based on the lack of transparency over many years and the unwillingness from the BTT to provide current information it seemed that my information was accurate and that the male had been killed under the current management guidelines. There is a great deal of speculation now circulating on social media and we call on the BTT to clarify what has happened to this charismatic baboon through an official statement; if he is still alive what the BTT plans for his future?” said Jenni Trethowan from the Baboon Matters Trust.
Picture: Jamie Pyatt