Residents of Nyagatare City are becoming more and more concerned about the increase of baboon sightings in the neighborhood. Locals claim that these primates are spreading havoc, destroying crops and plundering stores. They also reportedly like lounging on city rooftops, which ruins roofing materials.
Cyprian Ntambara, a resident of Nyagatare Sector and motorcycle rider, voiced concern about the baboon population’s notable increase over time and emphasized the necessity of taking action to address their presence in the community.
“The baboons in the city are very disturbing,” he stated. They destroy fruit trees, corn, beans, and house roofing, and they raid gardens. Baboons are a danger to people’s safety, especially for parents of small children. The baboons occasionally even venture into residential areas in quest of food.”
The baboons’ primary home is the Muvumba catchment region, which gives them plenty of daylight hours to explore the city. Nonetheless, their frequent interactions with the locals frequently lead to hostility, and there have even been reports of attacks, which raises questions about possible disease transfer to the neighborhood.
The best course of action, according to Nyagatare shopkeeper Xavier Nsengamungu, would be to move the baboons to a more suitable environment outside of populated areas. Others advise addressing the problem by putting in fences or other deterrent measures.
Nsengamungu voiced his displeasure over the continuous baboon raids, mentioning incidents in which food supplies were stolen and taken away from his shop and nearby homes.
Locals in Nyagatare are pleading with the authorities to act quickly and to deal with the growing baboon population.
Mayor Stephen Gasana of Nyagatare District stressed the need for a long-term fix and said that talks with the appropriate authorities are taking place to address the problem. Teams have been sent in to monitor and stop baboons from further invading cities in the interim.
Health professionals highlight the possibility for diseases like tuberculosis to spread between humans and baboons when they warn of the risks associated with human-wildlife contact. They suggest taking steps to lessen these encounters, such as putting in place appropriate waste management systems, establishing buffer zones between populated areas and natural regions, and teaching locals the value of keeping their distance from wild animals.
