The saga of Kataza the baboon has been closely followed by Capetonians for months now, with residents starting a “Bring Kataza Back” Facebook plage to track his location and survival efforts. The Cape of Good Hope SPCA (CoGH SPCA) has now applied for a permit to translocate Kataza – also known as SK11 – to a rehabilitation centre in Limpopo.
“The Cape of Good Hope SPCA has submitted an application to Cape Nature for a permit to capture and translocate SK11, also known as Kataza, to a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Limpopo,” the organisation said in a statement on Tuesday, January 12.
“The application to CapeNature followed after the Cape of Good Hope SPCA called for an urgent meeting with the City of Cape Town on Tuesday, January 5, to discuss welfare concerns associated with Kataza and his lack of integration with his natal troop and continued raiding behaviours.”
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA first approached the City of Cape Town on October 21, 2020 with this proposal to capture Kataza and translocate him to the Riverside Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in the best interests of the welfare of Kataza, other animals in the area and the public in general.
The SPCA was willing to absorb all the costs involved in the relocation of Kataza to the centre which is owned and managed by well-known primatologist Bob Venter.
“Unfortunately, our proposal was not favourably received by the City of Cape Town and Kataza was returned to Kommetjie,” the SPCA said. “As we anticipated, Kataza has not reintegrated with his natal troop and his raiding behaviour has escalated placing his own safety and that of the surrounding communities at risk.
“The Cape of Good Hope SPCA has always maintained that Kataza’s relocation back to Slangkop was not in his best interest as he would face the same challenges reintegrating with his natal troop as he faced in Tokai and that his raiding behaviour would continue unless he was rehabilitated before being released into the wild.”