In the last years Cape Town has experienced an increase of wildfires in the summer months.
On one day alone, 3 January, 2017 it was reported that firefighters battled 106 bush and grass fires.
Starting in Ocean View on the morning of 11 January, 2017, a wildfire that swept through the home range of the Da Gama Park troop, began a traumatic and bewildering period for them.
An estimated 60-80% of their foraging range had been destroyed by the fire.
Each day the baboons were 'pushed' to and from their sleepsite to unburnt foraging by rangers (using the controversial management tool of paintballs introduced in 2012).
Some baboons were left injured eg a juvenile female with burnt hand and feet was photographed dragging herself painfully along the ground.
She would be dubbed Phoenix having survived the fire, but would tragically die days later amidst much controversy as to why she had not been treated for her festering wounds. She was carried in her final days by the alpha female Big Mama, who would give birth to an infant about a month after the fire.
The cause of Phoenix's death was also questioned given that she died after fragments of what appeared to be paintball shells (and paint fluid) were seen on her temple earlier in the day in photographs by baboon advocacy group, Baboon Matters, during a visit.
The substance was dismissed as an unknown substance even though many did not agree with this assessment and were willing to consider the possibility of it being paimtball related.
One female baboon was reported by a resident as seeing a female baboon die in the fire. Could this have been Phoenix's mother, some wondered?
