Why do the baboons come into the village?
There are likely a few factors that contribute to the troop’s presence in the village. Like many other coastal baboons¹, they just prefer low lying land. Fynbos grows more densely at lower altitudes, and here they can forage for more nutritious strandveld vegetation as opposed to the Sandstone Fynbos found in the mountainous areas.
Human-related adaptations to the natural landscape also attract them, such as lawns, lush vegetation in watered gardens, shelter provided by buildings, easy access to water and occasional access to human-derived food. The roads in the village are liked by the troop, providing them easy pathways for travelling, as well as a buffet of fynbos, lawns and cultivated plants to snack on².