As his name would so appropriately suggest, the Cape Peninsula’s oldest baboon touched many hearts.
Castle Rock, Western Cape (15 September 2025) – If you’ve strolled the roads near Smitswinkel Bay or spent time in Castle Rock, you might have crossed paths with Fingers and his troop.
He was part of the Smitswinkel Bay troop from the day he was born, grew up to become their alpha male and later, their patriarch. At 25 years old, he was the oldest known baboon on the Cape Peninsula. He was lucky enough to spend his days wandering the mountains wild and free.
Fingers survived it all, even though life in the troop can be tough. He led for longer than most and then quietly stepped back into the role of wise old guardian as younger alphas took his place.
“He just had that knack of ‘good baboon relations’ and the younger troop members gravitated towards him especially for protection and when there was ‘trouble in the camp’ which there invariably is with baboons being baboons. He was their guardian, patient, a family man and offered a safe place,” shares Baboons of the South.
Baboons of the South are an independent lobby group who have worked towards compassionate and empathetic conservation between baboons and communities. Be it a contentious and ongoing topic of debate – especially in the Cape – the group has strived to keep both sides safe, believing that we all deserve our spot in the wild.
Back to Fingers.
As his name would so appropriately suggest, Fingers touched many lives who peacefully crossed paths with him. The trusted companions whose gardens he and his troop would take peaceful refuge in, or admirers and conservationists who have spent years (for some, decades) getting to know the gentle old man and his troop.
In Early September, Baboons of the South shared the sad update after Fingers hadn’t been seen with his troop since 29 August. For those who knew him, it felt like losing an old friend.
What made him so loved was the way he looked after others. Even as he slowed down, the younger baboons stuck close to him. He had a soft side for his family that would break your heart, and a smiley side that would warm it.
“To me Fingers was a ‘mentor’ from the wildlife world and it will never be the same without him. To those who have not had the opportunity to observe baboons it may be regarded as romanticizing baboons but in their own wild space there is no better experience to be had,” shares Baboons of the South.
Fingers was part of the Cape’s story and though he’s gone now, he’ll be remembered as the wise old soul who wandered the mountains in wisdom for decades.
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