African Animals – Baboons At Your Table

BG and I stopped for lunch at a very scenic café overlooking the ocean close to Cape Town. A sign at the entrance caught my attention: “Baboons frequently visit this restaurant”. I’m not sure why baboons preferred this restaurant over the one next door so I looked forward to seeing the menu.

Warning Sign

Our waiter explained that a troop of baboons lived in the area and occasionally snatched food from tables on the terrace. He cautioned us to keep our bread covered in the napkin and eat it quickly.

We did not see any baboons during our meal but they are common in some parts of South Africa. Baboons readily venture into some neighborhoods. They are very intelligent and will approach humans. However, they can be dangerous so people are strongly cautioned not to get close to them. Feeding is forbidden by law – you will be fined. Once baboons become accustomed to a hand out they can become very aggressive if they do not get what they want.

Yet I am still fascinated by baboons – it amazes me that the animal I used to see behind bars in the local zoo is roaming around the restaurant where I am dining! That would make the evening news in my hometown but in South Africa it only warrants a sign in the restaurant parking lot…

What do you think? Click on the title above to make a comment (African Animals-Baboons At Your Table)…

Raymond Pechacek lives in the U.S. and is married to a wonderful South African lady (BG!). He writes about the people, customs, wildlife, and places of South Africa, runs a consulting firm to help companies improve their global trade processes, and imports products into the U.S. - with an emphasis on supporting South Africa!