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I'm Bill Bailey and I'm in Cape Town

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to introduce you to three unique
families of baboons.

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The roadside chancers
of the Smitz troop.

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00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:18,880
The fun loving bumpkins
of the Tokai troop.

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And the urban scroungers of Da Gama.

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We're going to travel
alongside the troop,

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giving us a unique chance to follow
the highs and lows of family life.

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A baboon docu-soap, if you will.

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This time, Merlin pulls off
a daring daytime raid.

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00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,680
The Da Gama troop get evicted
from their block of flats.

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00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:49,920
And the Tokai troop
welcome some new arrivals.

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00:00:51,480 --> 00:00:54,760
There's more rivalry,
politics and causal violence

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00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:58,560
than a British provincial town.
Life's not easy being a baboon.

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Ah, I've got terrible sunburn
on the back of my legs.

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It makes it very hard to stand up,

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so I might have to adopt
the...baboon pose.

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This is actually quite relaxing.

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My baboon safari is nearly over
and it has been a real privilege

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to get up close to
these fascinating creatures.

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The thing is though,
as their habitat dwindles away,

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their run ins with local people
are only going to become more fraught

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and ill-tempered.
And the bleakest estimates suggest

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that unless there is
any radical change,

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these animals will be extinct
within ten years.

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The question is -
will the local peoples' patience

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run out before a solution is reached?

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Living alongside us is tough
but as we'll see,

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these clever clownsters
are pretty good at getting by.

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The 25 members of the Smitz troop
begin their morning as usual,

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patrolling the coast road, in the
hope of finding a tourist's car,

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unlocked and hopefully crammed
with crisps and sandwiches.

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This morning though,
things are rather quiet.

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Time to catch up on Monkey News.

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Merlin's got a plan.

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This old boy is the criminal
mastermind of the Smitz troop.

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He's got his sight set

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on more refined delights
than cheese and pickle.

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But there are baboon bouncers
watching his every move.

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The baboon monitors
are a dedicated team

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employed by the Nature Conservation
Corporation,

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to follow the troop every day and try
to keep them out of mischief.

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But it's hard to keep an eye on
the movements of 25 lively monkeys.

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Merlin goes for the brazen approach,

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casually ambling past
the law enforcers,

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cool as a cucumber in baboon form.

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Merlin has already made
one unsuccessful attempt

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at breaking and entering
the Black Marlin Restaurant.

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This time it's personal.

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He's returned to the scene
of his crime.

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He lurks in the bushes. It's still
early, but he's happy to wait.

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He cases the joint
as it slowly comes to life.

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Merlin doesn't miss a trick.

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An open door.

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Like all primates,
Merlin has a problem-solving brain.

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One way or another,
he'll find a way in.

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But he'll have to find
a way past this guy -

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the restaurant's own personal
baboon monitor.

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He spends all of his time
trying to keep the baboons at bay.

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Has Merlin met his match?

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While Merlin stakes out the Marlin,

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the rest of the gang has managed to
give the monitors the slip, too.

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The restaurant shares its spot
on the coast with a caravan park.

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The holiday homes and chalets,
set on lush green lawns,

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are a magnet
to monkeys on the scrounge.

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For the youngsters, the array of
prefabs is a giant playground.

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But the adults have a stronger sense
of mission.

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A caravan park means only one thing -
trailer trash.

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Well, I think you're right
to give that a miss.

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It's monkey mischief everywhere!

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Holidaymakers are understandably
unnerved by their visitors -

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not the quiet getaway
they were hoping for.

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Many animal species engage in play,

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especially the more intelligent
and social ones.

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It's a way of giving youngsters
a chance to experiment

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with adult behaviours,
without the risks.

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Leaping about
helps to hone their coordination,

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but the rough and tumble
is also where they start to establish

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their place in the hierarchy -
play fighting and showing who's boss.

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But playtime's soon over.

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It doesn't take long
for the baboon monitors

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to figure out where their charges
have gone.

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And this time,
they've brought re-reinforcements.

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The restaurant's monitor
also helps round up the rabble.

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This is the moment
Merlin has been waiting for.

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While the home guard is busy,
he sneaks around the back.

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Meanwhile, the baboon monitors are
driving the rest of the Smitz troop

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from the nearby holiday park,
using bullwhips as baboon scarers.

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With security distracted, the
restaurant's vulnerable to a raid.

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Merlin seizes his chance.

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I'm Bill Bailey
and I'm on the Cape Peninsula,

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looking at the way that baboons are
adjusting to a changing environment.

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One of the toughest calls that
people who work with wildlife find

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is how far do you get involved

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when you see an animal that's injured
or orphaned? Do you step in?

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Well, most nature preservers

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have the policy that intervention
is only appropriate

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if the problem is caused by humans,
as we saw with Ellie,

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who was shot and rescued.

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But if the animal is injured
in some other way or old or sick,

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the best course of action
is just to step back

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and let nature take its course.

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It seems harsh though, because when
you see a wild animal in distress,

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there's an urge to get involved,
to help in some way.

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But nature can be very harsh,
you know.

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It's a bit of a cruel mistress

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and sometimes the best course
of action is to leave wildlife alone.

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In the Tokai, nature has dealt the
troop a harsh blow -

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one of the females has given birth

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but it's not the happy event
it should be.

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Named Sad by researchers,
this female lives up to her name.

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She has just given birth
to a male called Trance,

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but this female
suffers a cruel twist of fate.

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Sad hasn't got any nipples and isn't
able to feed her newborn infant.

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Usually curious baboon onlookers
are keen to hold new babies,

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but all they can do is watch
as the little one fades away.

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Such are the tough realities
of life in the forest,

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but for every infant lost,
others are born

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and soon the troop is welcoming
new and healthy arrivals.

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Berta and Tschumpel
are both cradling their little ones.

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Real cause for celebration.

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The babies are only two days old,
but fed by their mother's rich milk,

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they are bright and alert.

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Members of the troop gather,
keen to meet the new recruits.

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Everyone loves a baby.

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Tenderly the guests greet
mother Berta and her baby, Hope.

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They lip-smack gently,
making the baby greeting call.

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It's only used
when approaching infants

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to make it clear
that they mean no harm.

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One by one,
they want to groom the baby.

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It's an introduction,

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helping the newborn to get to know
everyone in the troop.

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It's a bit too soon for Hope
to take in so many new faces.

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But with time,
she'll begin to recognise

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each animal's individual features

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as well as the distinctive tone
of their voices.

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As Tschumpel nurses her baby,
Sad approaches,

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gently greeting the new arrival.

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It's a bittersweet moment.

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It's a challenging
and dangerous world

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but by maintaining their close bonds
and social structure,

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baboons still survive
against the odds.

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And with the strong hand of Danny
to guide them -

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grandfathers Meagerli and Stettler,
and even newcomer, Clint -

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the troop has a bright future.

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Back on the coast
and Merlin is putting his plan

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for the restaurant raid into action.

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While the rest of the Smitz troop
are running riot

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around the nearby caravan park,
keeping the monitors busy,

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Merlin strikes.

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It's not what you would call
a discreet entry.

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The dining room is full of guests,

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but it's a sunny day
and several windows are open.

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He's got to be quick - there are
plenty of potential witnesses.

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But the noise of the commotion
carries to the caravan park,

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attracting the restaurant's
baboon bouncer.

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His mouth stuffed full,
Merlin makes a dash.

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It's time to get out of here.

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He joins the rest of the Smitz troop
as they head back to the coast road -

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their usual car-jacking hangout.

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But this time, egged on by
the baboon bouncers, they don't stop.

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Instead they head down to the beach.

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Perhaps it's time for the troop
to get back to nature.

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This is where a wild primate can
hang out without a care in the world.

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The Cape Town baboons are unique.

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Though baboons all over Africa
are adaptable

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and will eat just about anything,

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these are the only ones
that like to beach comb.

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The tide brings in
all sorts of titbits.

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And rock pools are teaming with
molluscs and crabs.

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For the youngsters,
the beach is one huge sandpit.

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This day out at the seaside is a
wonderful change from the noisy road.

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With the baboons
behaving themselves for once,

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the monitors can also ease off
and take a well earned rest.

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And all the while,
the troop is being watched over

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by their attentive guardian.

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Alpha male Fred
has been a caring and gentle father,

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always putting his babies'
safety first.

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But in the months after we filmed,
when his raiding activities

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began to lead to violent attacks
on people,

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the local authorities
faced a dilemma.

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Whatever the underlying cause,

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they couldn't risk Fred causing
serious harm to a human bystander,

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so they made the difficult decision
to have Fred humanely put down.

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If we are to prevent
the next generation of baboons

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from following in Fred's footsteps,

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we will have to accept
that we are partly responsible

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and change our own behaviour, too.

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And Smitz aren't the only troop

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to be clashing with
their human neighbours.

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Remember the mischief-making monkeys
of Da Gama?

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But now their usual
tower block residence is silent.

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You almost wouldn't recognise
the place - not a baboon in sight.

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After their recent
breaking and entering,

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the baboon monitors
have tightened up their management

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and herded the family
onto a recreation site

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on the edge of the navy base.

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The people who live in the flats

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have had to put up with baboons'
constant noise,

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mess and destruction
of their property.

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00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:31,880
Sometimes it gets a bit much,

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so the monitors are trying to
give the residents a break.

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00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:42,400
And it doesn't seem so bad
for the troop either.

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There's plenty of space to roam
and healthy food to eat.

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It's tough for Alpha male Gundy
to be pushed around,

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but for baboons
to live alongside people,

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00:18:56,680 --> 00:18:58,680
there has to be some give and take.

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00:19:05,120 --> 00:19:09,200
Some experts fear the Cape baboons
could face extinction

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with property prices soaring
and demand for homes on the coast

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putting pressure
on the remaining wilderness.

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00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,400
But it's not all doom and gloom.

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00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:24,360
The baboon monitors
are a big investment,

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00:19:24,360 --> 00:19:26,840
made by people
who care about baboons.

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00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:32,080
Conservation groups, government
and private individuals

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00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:35,880
all play their part.
There are many dedicated people

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00:19:35,880 --> 00:19:38,880
determined to make sure
these unique primates

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00:19:38,880 --> 00:19:42,360
keep their rightful place
on this little strip of Africa.

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00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:48,360
The troop soon settles down
in their new home.

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00:19:57,360 --> 00:19:59,880
The tall trees
that surround the park

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are a perfect place
to spend the night.

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00:20:13,160 --> 00:20:16,640
The human world can be
a dangerous place for baboons

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00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:19,480
but the Da Gama troop are safe
in their tree top roost

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00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:22,360
and the human residents of the flats

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can sleep with their windows open
tonight.

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00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:27,160
Perhaps they'll even get a lie in.

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00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:33,800
For now, it seems a compromise
might have been reached

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00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:37,160
and everyone, man and beast,
can sleep soundly.

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00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:53,120
Here on the Cape Peninsula,

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the baboon situation
is just an example

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00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:57,440
of what's happening
all over the world.

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00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:01,760
As the human population grows,
so the space for wildlife shrinks.

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00:21:01,760 --> 00:21:05,600
As you can imagine, not everyone
is a fan of the baboons here,

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00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:09,240
but love them or hate them, they've
been here for a million years.

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00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:14,560
Drawings from ancient Egypt depict
baboons as responsible citizens

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00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:17,880
helping to apprehend thieves
in the market.

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00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:22,880
Other cultures depicted them
as...thieves in the market.

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00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:25,960
So this polarised opinion of baboons

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00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:28,960
has been around since
the birth of civilisation itself

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00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:30,960
and it carries on today.

239
00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,160
But for now anyway,
the future's looking pretty bright

240
00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:36,520
for these maddening, insolent,

241
00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:41,040
surprisingly tender,
intelligent, complex

242
00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:44,320
and endlessly entertaining
furry funsters.

243
00:21:47,480 --> 00:21:50,760
itfc subtitles