BOOKLET FOR MEMBERS OF NMMU

GEORGE CAMPUS BABOON SPOTTING

NETWORK: REPORTING PROTOCOLS FOR

BABOON INFORMANTS

Peet Botes, s209074051

15 August 2013

Please read carefully

If you see a baboon or group of baboons on Saasveld, or baboons raid or

try to raid your residence and/or residences’ garbage bins:

please send an sms to Peet “The Baboon Guy” Botes at 072 352

7366;

texting the date and time when you spot them,

area location code of where you spot them and where you are

spotting them from (Please see attached pages), and

(if possible) their behaviour/s and habitat (Please see attached

pages).

If you prefer using email , you can send me your reports at

s209074051@live.nmmu.ac.za.

If you prefer using facebook , you can send your reports as messages to

the projects’ profile (Saasveld Baboons).

If you prefer using Whatsapp , you can send me your reports as

messages at 072   352 7366 .

Benefits of acting as an informant:

you are a Citizen Scientist, something which you could put on your

CV;

you are helping to address a situation which affects you as a

student, resident and/or staff member of NMMU George Campus,

Saasveld;

you are involved in the issues that affect the Saasveld community;

you are forming part of a Masters study which is looking into the

situation with the baboons, contributing to research on modern-day

environmental issues in the process; and

you will start to gain insight into the patterns and behaviours of

baboons the more you observe them.

Rules for reporting baboon occurrence on Saasveld:

be accurate and honest, any dishonesty will make your reports

invalid, discredit you as a participant in research and risk the

credibility of the study itself;

you have to start being aware of baboons in your immediate

environment, trying to always stay on track of movements and

sounds;

report if you see the same baboon in the same area location, but in

a different habitat;

report if you see the same baboon in a different area location;

report if you see a different baboon or group of baboons;

if you see the same baboon located in the same area location and

habitat for an hour or more since your first report, report at hourly

intervals;

an example of a sms report would be:

o John Borcherds, 2013-08-24, 08:45, Spotting from G15,

Baboons in F9;

o Behaviour: Socialising, Habitat: Pine plantation.

you can also make multiple spottings in one sms, for example:

o Sarah Kingsley, 2014-09-10, 09:15, Spotting from C4, baboons

in C6 & C7;

o C6-Behaviour: Socialising & Foraging, Habitat: Transformed;

o C7-Behaviour: Resting & Raiding, Habitat: Rec centre &

Transformed.

be clear about the area location of the baboons and the area

location you are reporting from;

the studys’ data will show a more complete view of the baboon

situation on Saasveld the fewer days you skip with your reports;

remember to always include the date, time, area locations and your

name in your baboon spotting reports, without it the data you report

cannot be used for analysis;

always report your spottings, even if you see me doing my own

observations of the same baboons; and

only report area locations, behaviours and habitats of baboons

before you possibly made any attempts to scare them off (when

they try to raid a house, for example).

Map legend

Undefined

Tierkop

North Campus

Akkerdraai

Aboria/Swimming pool/South Campus/Rec centre/Pampoenkraal/Furn tech

Windheuwel/Petula res/Furntech res/Saasveld Gate

Possible habitats:

Akkerdraai res Campus lawns (including rugby,

hockey, golf, soccer and cricket fields)

Aboria res Swimming pool (including old pub and

squash buildings)

Outeniqua res Semi-natural (all uncut lawn areas)

Kalander res Rehabilitation (the old tarmac road)

Oukraal res Netball and tennis courts

Kiepersol res Pine plantation

Tierkop res Indigenous forest

Petula res Lover’s lane

Furntech res North-South campus footpath

Kamassi res Van schaik bookshop

Umdoni res University shop

Dining hall

Rec centre

South campus classrooms/library/computer labs

Mopani hall

North campus office/admin

North campus research buildings/lab

Baboon behaviours:

Foraging: The acquisition and consumption of natural food

resources. Socialising: Grooming, mating, playing and/or fighting.

Resting: Being stationary in one location, often in a relaxed body

position.

Raiding: The acquisition and consumption of human food resources

(including garbage), or attempt to acquire human food resources.

Travelling: Defined as gradual movement across the landscape,

usually slow when accompanied with another behaviour and

sometimes fast when done alone.

Kind Regards, and Thank You for your participation.

Peet “The Baboon Guy” Botes

S209074051

072 352 7366

M.Tech Nature Conservation

Sustainability Research Unit

NMMU George Campus, Saasveld