Kataza, the beloved baboon from Slangkop, may have left Cape Town but the Mother City has not forgotten him. It seems he has made a big impact on the city, for more than just its residents.
It appears even the seas miss Kataza. Local photographer Nigel Riley recently captured an incredible image of a wave crashing on Kalk Bay harbour, but this is no ordinary wave. If you look carefully, the wave appears to take on the outline of Kataza himself.
Can you spot him?
Kataza the baboon, a well-known male chacma baboon also known as SK11, has been the centre of controversy for months since he was moved to Tokai to reduce dispersing of the troop from Slangkop to Kommetjie in August 2020.
A petition signed by more than 30 000 people demanded Kataza be returned to Slangkop. He was returned to his natal Slangkop troop on November 12, 2020 but concerns began to grow that he was endangering himself and residents on the urban edges of Kommetjie, Ocean View, Capri, Da Gama Park and Sun Valley, which are the areas where the baboon has been roaming since his return.
In mid-January, a permit was granted by Cape Nature for him to be relocated to the Riverside Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in Limpopo, where he will be gradually introduced into a new troop and kept in a semi-wild environment.
Picture: Nigel Riley