[Travelandtourism] Furry felons rob South African tourists, steal food

[Reese]

What an eye opening story if you ever want to travel to South Africa.

Reese

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) - Visitors to South Africa's premier holiday 
destination who are worried about becoming victims of the country's high 
crime rate could find themselves instead robbed by a more furry kind of 
felon: baboons.
The cheeky primates have learned how to open car doors and jump through 
windows in pursuit of tasty sandwiches and snacks.

City officials are battling to control the increasingly aggressive troupes 
and there are fears the problem will only worsen with the influx of visitors 
to Cape Town during the World Cup next year.


On Tuesday, a troupe of 29 baboons raided four cars outside Simon's Town, a 
small coastal neighborhood. A baboon dubbed "Fred," the leader of the group, 
opened unlocked doors and jumped through windows to search for food.

He ransacked a bag in the back seat of a red car as a couple panicked about 
their passports. A girl screamed nearby as a baboon hopped into her car 
through a back window. Others climbed on car roofs and hoods, looking for 
ways inside.

Many of those who stopped to watch the raid had their own cars broken into 
by other baboons.

"We spend the whole day basically rescuing tourists," said Mark Duffels, a 
volunteer who monitors the baboons in an effort to keep them at bay.

There are about 420 baboons in 17 troupes that roam the city's outskirts, 
especially the popular scenic sites along the coast. Baboons are a protected 
species under South African legislation but their persistent pursuit of food 
has led to conflict with residents.

The baboons associate humans and cars with food although people are strongly 
discouraged from feeding the animals.

But Justin O' Riain, head of the baboon research unit at the University of 
Cape Town, fears that the influx of visitors next year will only feed the 
primates' taste for human foods even more.

"Tourism is going to go through the roof, and this equals exposure to naive 
people and rich pickings," he said. "People who stop the car, they're going 
to get raided."

Concerned Simon's Town residents asked Monday for a crossing gate to be put 
up on the road that leads to the nearby Cape of Good Hope nature reserve.

Cars would be stopped before they enter baboon territory and given a 
brochure in their native language explaining why they should stay in their 
cars, lock their doors and close their windows if they see baboons.

"We're so anxious about tourists who can't read or understand English. It 
puts them at risk," said Liz Hardman, who is leading the campaign. "The 
perception is that the baboons are harmless and they're not. They're wild 
animals."

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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