Baboon ambushes woman twice at a market to steal food (PHOTOS)

The moment a hungry and fearless chacma baboon pounces on an oblivious shopper in Cape Town, South Africa, highlights just how bold these primates are becoming living side by side with people in the city

A hungry baboon shows it’s a cheeky monkey by stealing vegetables from a woman carrying her shopping.

The chacma baboon bides its time and waits to pounce on the oblivious shopper who is the victim of a daylight robbery.

It patiently waits for people to leave the farmers’ market where fresh vegetables are on sale.

After spotting its target, it ambushes the woman, tugging on her large sticks of rhubarb.

The adult male monkey managed to get a firm grip on the plant to snatch it from her box of fresh vegetables.

So the shopper bravely returns to retrieve her stolen fruit, presenting another opportunity for the baboon. This time it grabs a ripe avocado

Cyril Ruoso from Lailly in Burgundy, France, travelled to Cape Town, South Africa, to take photographs of the famous baboons in the area.

The 43-year-old said: ‘I travelled to the city to cover the story of the baboons as their presence is a big issue in that part of Cape Town.

‘In the past, Chacma Baboons were trapped here in large numbers, for use in medial research facilities.

‘Thanks to the work of local animal rights activists, this practice has been discontinued.

‘As a result, the baboon population has increased and without any natural predators, the animals have become comfortable around humans.’

The baboons, who sleep in vacated homes and on roofs of buildings, raid the farmers market and houses for food.

Mr Ruoso added: ‘They even stake out the local farmers markets, mugging shoppers as they return to their cars.

‘Baboons know the market days and what time they start and finish, so they are around at the right moment ready for ambushes.

So the shopper bravely returns to retrieve her stolen fruit, presenting another opportunity for the baboon. This time it grabs a ripe avocado

So the shopper bravely returns to retrieve her stolen fruit, presenting another opportunity for the baboon. This time it grabs a ripe avocado – apparently a far more appealing reward for its efforts

Fussy eater: After successfully robbing the shopper of her rhubarb, and what looks like a bag of mushrooms, the giant primate appears to have a sniff and turn its nose up at its haul

‘The monkey keeps a distance, observing until a good opportunity arises to strike at the right time – it is like a guerrilla strategy.

‘Baboons are very strong and can be aggressive, and when they want something it’s a good idea to let them have it.’

While some people find the coexistence of baboons and people entertaining, for others it is turning into a nightmare,

The species has been protected since 1999 and there are now 500 baboons living in 16 groups, increasingly cut off from their native habitats by the sprawling city.

Some estates are now plagued with the primates, which scale blocks of flats pillaging anything they can get their hands on from homes with open windows.

Those who choose to fight back are limited to sticks, pepper sprays and paintball guns. They have the momentary effect of driving the baboons away, but hunger and sheer nerve always bring them back.

Baboons are now a common sighting in the sprawling city, seen trawling through waste bins, loitering at rubbish dumps, stealing from shops and markets and prowling around picnic sites.

Read more: Daily Mail

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