eNewsHound

Tourists eager for a photo with Cape Town‘s signature baboons will soon face fines or even jail time if they are caught offering food to the wild animals.

Earlier this week officials of the city issued a statement that deliberate baiting of baboons would result in fines of up to 1,500 rand or $150 US dollars. Alternate sentences would involve a six-month jail term. While the warning it mostly directed toward tour operators, tourists who take it upon themselves to feed the baboons would also be liable.

The problems stem from tour operators (and the occasional tourist) who use food to lure the baboons to provide photo-opportunities. The result is that the monkeys have become more and more aggressive in seeking out food. Some have been known to snatch bags from tourists and in a recent case, several baboons jumped into a car to get more food after several American tourists got out to take pictures.

Cape Town is one of the more popular tourist destinations in South Africa. The city has a number of Cape Town five star hotels as well as budget hostels, theme hotels, and guest houses that fill up during the city’s busy season. The baboons are a protected species that make perfect souvenier photos. However, when the animals get too aggressive, park rangers are forced to kill the animals.

The city is planning a “baboon summit” to investigate other ways to deal with the problem. Cape Town is home to an estimated 350 Chacma baboons.

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