My grandfather had a baboon that he caught when it was young. He raised it and it and was like his trusty guard dog until he married my grandmother. He soon had to choose between the two. He would sometimes, as a treat for the baboon, bring it a bag of sweets as a gift. The baboon, having a sweet tooth, loved these candies very much. My grandfather, never one to pass up the chance of pulling a practical joke on someone, would sometimes hide a small rubber snake in the brown paper bag from the candy store. Hans, as the baboon was known, would grab the bag and run up his pole, open the bag, start feasting and then promptly fall off the pole and go hide behind my grandfather.
I have heard several stories about baboons stealing children but I have never been able to confirm any of these stories. I first heard the paint method from a citrus farmer, or his grandson to be more precise. They did great deal damage to his orange trees. At first he shot them but they soon learn that the sound of a vehicle means trouble so he then resorted to traps. They were too clever for that too, unless he used very thick wire snares, which meant as often as not he would find a severed paw as the only sign of failure. A nearby game ranger then described the paint method to him if that is to be believed. The farmer in question then acquired a large metal cage used mostly for trapping leopards. You could then spray the paint through the mesh of the cage. Crueler than a bullet, less impact than poison, cheaper than a professional varminter. Or a cannon. He later bought his grandson a .243 with a large telescope to control the population. Apparently using bullets with thin jackets would not so much kill them as make them explode. From as far as 200 yards away.
I recently learned that the farmer lost his farm to land claims, along with a few of his neighbors so the baboons need not fear paint anymore, although I understand the current owner has ceased all commercial farming and is now living off the land, so baboons are back on the menu. So it goes.
Killing the brandwag will cause the troop to fall into complete confusion. A hunter would do well to start with the largest male in the troop, as this will keep the troop from launching an effective counter attack, meaning they won’t hunt you down and bite you legs off. They will also never abandon a baby baboon, so don’t get between them and a baby unless ammo is not a problem.
Topic: Baboons? (Read 3894 times)
