Central SA
Bloemhof’s church baboon safely darted, released into the wild─── ZENANDE MPAME 11:51 Mon, 12 Jan 2026
A baboon that roamed the town of Bloemhof for days has been released back into nature after it was captured by community members.
The baboon, now dubbed “Baboon of the Year,” inspired by Bloemhof’s award last year as the Afrikaans magazine TV programme Kwêla’s town of the year, was first spotted last Thursday (8/1). Since then, efforts were made to capture it.
The baboon was darted and caught on Sunday (11/1), said Bloemhof Dam Nature Reserve retired reserve manager Louis Coetzee. “We are going to release it where there are other baboons in the wild.”
The Lekwa-Teemane municipality issued a public alert to residents on Thursday, warning them that the baboon could pose a potential danger. The baboon was spotted at the century-old Dutch Reformed church, and it spent the rest of its days there.
A cage with fruit was used as bait to catch the baboon, but the baboon did not even get close to them. This is until a veterinarian from Hoopstad arrived and the animal was darted and released back into its natural habitat.
“When Bloemhof started buzzing about Town of the Year, everyone thought it was just curious people,” said a statement in the town’s WhatsApp group. “But no, the baboon’s offspring also decided he wanted to see what all the fuss was about.
A true VIP
“Like a true VIP, he was safely transported, cared for, and released back into his natural habitat, where he is probably now telling stories about the town with the big church clock, the easy chickens, and the colourful main street.”
The municipality urged residents to remain calm and avoid the animal, keeping children and pets indoors as much as possible. The baboon was first spotted in a resident‘s yard.
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.”
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