From Kokstad to care – Frikkie the baboon’s journey to the wild
CROW gives orphaned baboon a second chance at life.
A few months ago a baby baboon was brought from Kokstad to the Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) by KZN Ezemvelo Wildlife officers; its mother had been shot dead, leaving it an orphan.
The baboon showed no signs of injury, was examined and given food, immediately bonding with clinic nurse Liz Schoeman, who took the responsibility of providing full time care.
“Bringing up a baby baboon is no easy feat. He had to be fed every four hours and required constant attention and love, similar to the needs of any ordinary human. Liz worked hard taking on this challenge, assisted by a volunteer, Julian Lurz from Germany who provided back-up support,” said CROW operations director, Clint Hallkett-Siddall.
The little baboon soon captured everyone’s hearts and Liz named him Frikkie.
CROW had its last baboon release in 2019, with the decision taken not to carry on with a full rehabilitation programme as these can take up to six years to get the right troop structure and dynamics in place.
At present CROW has a policy of holding baboons for no more than up to six months before they will be sent to a specific primate facility in the country.
The one selected for Frikkie is in Limpopo as it has more space for baboons than CROW does.
Hallkett-Siddall explained that Frikkie was sent to a primate rehabilitation centre in the Eastern Cape, which has another male baboon of the same age.
“Baboons are social animals and we sent him there to meet his new friend before transitioning to Limpopo, where he will be introduced to more baboons and eventually form a troop. Once the troop is mature enough, which could take as long as five years, it will be released into the wild,” he said.
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