Central SA
Bloemhof residents urged to be cautious as baboon roams streets─── ZENANDE MPAME 14:39 Fri, 09 Jan 2026
Residents of Bloemhof are being asked to be cautious after a baboon was seen in the area.
The Lekwa-Teemane municipality urged residents to remain calm and avoid the animal, keeping children and pets indoors as much as possible. The baboon was first spotted on Thursday (8/1) in a resident‘s yard.
The municipality issued a public alert to residents, warning them that the baboon could pose a potential danger to them. The baboon was spotted at the Dutch Reformed church on Thursday (8/1), and a warden from the nature conservation department in Bloemhof has set out a cage and bait to try to catch the baboon.
“The baboon is in town, and we saw it last night when it stepped into the church tower,” said Bloemhof Dam Nature Reserve retired reserve manager Louis Coetzee.
“This morning I put out a cage with some bait, hopefully he will come and sleep at the church again because it is a safe place. If we can’t catch him, we will dart him and remove him.
“The baboon is not a dangerous animal at this stage, as he looks like he has been kept in captivity somewhere and he escaped, but he is not a wild baboon,” he said.
The baboon was spotted sitting in someone's yard, eating lemons. Photo supplied
One of the first residents to spot the animal, Helene Taljaard, described it as an eventful and unexpected encounter. She said her two pitbulls started barking furiously outside of her sliding door, and when she looked up, a large male baboon was walking on the neighbour’s roof.
“I called the neighbours to tell them, who also couldn't believe what I was saying,” said Taljaard.
“The baboon jumped from their house to the apartment next door and then to the next yard. I jumped in my car and drove around the corner to try to spot it again.
“Later, I found it sitting calmly under a tree, eating what looked like lemons. I hope he is soon safely returned to where he belongs, and thank you for the fun he brought to the town for the day.”
Bloemhof councillor Albert Nel confirmed that the origin of the baboon remains unknown. The municipality said updates will be communicated as the situation develops.
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