Spreading the message - the Baboon Shop

To support their ongoing work in baboon conservation and contribute towards creating awareness around living with baboons, the Trust have produced two books which are available for sale directly through our office or at select book stores around South Africa.

BEAST or BLESSING
Perhaps nowhere in South Africa is the escalating conflict between humans and wildlife more dramatic than on the Cape Peninsula where baboon casualties are sometimes reminiscent of a war zone. Each year baboons are shot, poisoned, mauled by dogs and mutilated or killed in road accidents as they go about their monkey business of foraging for food: often moving off the mountain or out of the forest into an extreme danger zone as they resort to the easier option of raiding homes and garbage bins.

And who can blame these survivors as human encroachment continues to shrink their natural environment, long since having cut off traditional migration routes for dispersing males. They’ve been around longer than humans but today there are just over 300 left on the Peninsula in a sea of humanity numbering many hundreds of thousands. So the conflict grows.

Human attitudes range from love to loathing for these our closest relatives in the local animal kingdom, but fortunately they have a number of committed human ambassadors, and none more passionate than Jenni Trethowan, co-founder of Baboon Matters.

Beast or Blessing is her story and also that of many Capetonians and visitors who’ve chosen to tell of their encounters, good and bad. The book is brutally fair, touching, informative and often funny, portraying our primate neighbours as the highly intelligent, individual and opportunistic creatures they are. Mostly the book is about the baboons themselves, told by many people from the baboon monitors who shadow them day in and day out, to conservationists and homeowners.

Much credit goes to designer Belinda Ashton who has assembled beautiful imagery from photographers of the calibre of Lee Slabber and Brett Cole and Chris Cole, also featuring an evocative message from legendary primatologist Dr Jane Goodall, along with a foreword by Allan Perrins, CEO of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA.

Jane Goodall recognises the important contribution made by Beast or Blessing, insisting that it “will go a long way to helping people understand the problems and help us to find solutions…

The book is an easy read and proceeds go to the Baboon Matters Trust, which is also supplemented by revenue from the programme of Baboon Walks offered to the public. (Review by Geoff Dalglish)

MICKEY MOHICAN’S A-Z OF BABOONS
This is an entertaining read full of fun activities for young children. The book contains a colouring–in section, crossword puzzles, mazes and join-the-dots pictures to name but a few of the fun and educational activities to keep your children entertained and amused.

By buying this book you will not only be investing in a great gift but also supporting a very worthwhile cause as all proceeds from the sale of the book are used to support the baboon conservation and education work of the Trust. The book costs R50.00 incl VAT.

CONTACT the Trust to enquire about book sales and retail outlets.