GEORGE NEWS - A small group of Wilderness Heights residents attended a workshop on Saturday 8 February on how people and baboons can more harmoniously co-exist in that area.
The presenter, Wynter Worsthorne, founder of Animaltalk Africa Trust, said existing troops in Wilderness Heights have not been a big problem. However, after the roadworks on the N2 started, a troop that lived in the Kaaimans area has moved into Wilderness Heights.
"Their behaviour is different from the troops that the residents have become familiar with. These baboons are entering homes and the situation has become more challenging, so some people are freaked out," she said.
She and her husband, Wilderness Ratepayers and Residents Association chairperson Simon Jamieson, live in Wilderness Heights where they regularly receive baboon visitors.
Worsthorne is an international animal communicator and teacher in animal communication and follows the intuitive interspecies communication (IIC) approach.
She teaches people how to consciously become more tuned in to the baboons and be more aware and understanding of their perspective.
"The communication rests on three pillars: love, respect and joy," she said.
She also taps knowledge from old indigenous African practices of traditional healers.
"Amazing results were achieved with this approach in Rheenendal, however, with the residents involved there moving away and new residents coming in, the knowledge was not carried over and renewed training would be needed," said Worsthorne.
Follow-up workshops will be held for Wilderness Heights residents and Worsthorne's aim is to roll out the project to other problem areas in the Garden Route and even to Cape Town.
A group of Wilderness Heights residents attended the workshop. Photo: Alida de Beer
After the roadworks on the N2 started, a troop of baboons that lived in the Kaaimans area moved into Wilderness Heights. Photo: Jeff Ayliffe
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