Dodger, the young male baboon from the Slangkop troop who was moving between his natal troop and the Da Gama Park troop, crosses his legs as he sits grooming himself on a residential pavement. Shortly thereafter, he would be cage trapped by the service provider HWS on 7 December, 2017, and taken to the SPCA. He was treated for a ruptured abscess on his hand, in the area of the white mark seen on his hand.
After a few days Dodger was released in the proximity of the four northern troops, including the Tokai troop. If a male baboon is to join another troop, it may take a fairly lengthy period of time as he establishes bonds with baboons on the periphery of the troop, which may facilitate his acceptance into the troop.
He may often return to his own troop on occasion before finally leaving. The males from the new troop may also fight with him and he can sustain injuries during that period.
It is a dangerous time for a dispersing male.
In Dodger's case he was moved far from either the Slangkop or Da Gama troop. He was seen in the Tokai area by residents who like those in the south remarked on his gentle nature.
DODGER CULLED
In January, 2018 some residents reported that a male baboon in Tokai had been 'euthanized'', the euphemistic term management uses for culling of the baboons.
It was immediately suspected by residents that it could be Dodger. It is often very difficult to get factual information about the state of the baboons, people are either shunted from one official to the next, or the information given is unsatisfactory or sparse.
Eventually, it was confirmed that it was indeed Dodger.
Killed on 8 January, 2018, a month after being cage-trapped for his injured hand, to date details are still being sought about why Dodger was killed, by whom, by what means ie shot or darted.
Dodger is yet another victim of the controversial culling protocols that have killed so many of the Peninsula troops' young adult and leading male baboons, in particular, in the last five years.
