10/02/2025
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ด๐๐ป: ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ง๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐๐
A baboon named Raygun was stoned, kicked, bound with wire, and burned alive by schoolchildren at Botleng Secondary School in Delmas, Mpumalanga. Let that sink in.
Not by hardened criminals. Not by poachers. By childrenโour next generation.
We must ask ourselves: What kind of society raises children capable of such violence? What kind of nation turns a blind eye when it happens?
This is not just about Raygun. This is about us. South Africa is drowning in violence. We read headlines of human-on-human brutality daily, but animal cruelty is the warning bell we refuse to hear. Every serial killer case study tells us the same thing: the road to human violence often starts with violence against animals.
๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ด๐๐ป ๐ช๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ผ๐ปโ๐๐ฒ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐๐บ๐ฏ๐ผ๐น
Raygun's journey captivated us all. He was a lost wanderer, navigating a world increasingly hostile to wildlife. People rallied to relocate him safely, proving that compassion still exists in South Africa. But his story didn't end with a safe haven. It ended with fire and screamsโon school grounds, in front of children who will go home and sleep soundly, knowing that their school did nothing to stop it.
And what did the adults do? Did they intervene? Did they condemn? Did they educate? Or did they merely observe, numb to the horror unfolding before them?
The failure is systematic. Our children are exposed to unchecked violence daily. They witness animals being persecuted, shot, poisoned, and brutalized. They watch as government-funded baboon management programs normalize the use of paintball guns, rubber bullets, and other violent deterrents. In Overstrand, teams are armed to "manage" baboons, reinforcing the message that these animals are disposable nuisances.
When violence is institutionalized, children will learn it. And when they grow up, who will they harm next?
๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ก๐ผ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐บ๐โ๐๐ด๐ป๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐
Raygun's murder is not an isolated incident. It is part of a deeply ingrained hatred for baboons in South Africaโan attitude that is both irrational and self-inflicted.
- We invade their natural habitat.
- We mismanage waste, leaving food accessible.
- We fail to implement humane solutions to coexistence.
- And when they do what any hungry, intelligent species would doโsearch for foodโwe call for their death.
Baboons are highly intelligent. They form deep social bonds, express emotions, and strategize like we do. But instead of recognizing their complexity, we paint them as vermin.
South Africa permits unrestricted hunting of baboons year-round.
British trophy hunters alone legally exported over 500 baboon trophies over a 30-year period.
Traditional medicine markets exploit them, yet we have no data on how many are killed annually.
And while baboons are globally demonized through racial slurs and hate speech, they are simultaneously degraded as one of the "most rewarding" animals to kill for sport.
The hatred is irrational. The violence is systemic. The silence is enabling.
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ช๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ด๐๐ป, ๐ช๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ข๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐น๐๐ฒ๐
Violence begets violence. When children see animals being brutalized without consequence, they become desensitized. Their empathy dulls. Their capacity for cruelty grows. Studies confirm it: children who witness violence are more likely to become violent themselves.
Where does this cycle lead?
Do we really believe a child who can tie up and set a living being on fire will never escalate to harming people? How long before the violence we tolerate against animals comes knocking at our own doors?
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has long acknowledged the damage violence does to children who witness it. Yet here we are, pretending Raygun's murder is just another incident.
This cannot be just another incident. This must be the moment we decide: enough.
๐ช๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ
The school must be held accountable. The Department of Basic Education, Mpumalanga Department of Education and the government and authorities must investigate. The children involved must face appropriate intervention.
We demand immediate reformโeducation programs that teach compassion, conservation, and respect for all life.
Raygun was burned alive. Let's not burn our future along with him.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐ก๐ผ๐:
โ๏ธ Sign the petition calling for justice for Raygun: https://www.change.org/p/justice-for-raygun-the-baboon
โ๏ธ Demand educational reform to include animal ethics.
โ๏ธ Speak out against baboon persecutionโat protests, online, and in your community.
โ๏ธ Support organizations like BWC and Baboon Matters who are fighting for justice and systemic change.
๐๐ฟ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ: In a poignant twist of timing, as we grapple with Raygun's tragic death, Baboon Matters opens a groundbreaking art exhibition featuring works by South Africa's premier artists. This showcase emerges at exactly the moment we need it mostโwhen our society is forced to confront its relationship with these remarkable beings. Curated by Imvuko Safari & Art, each piece tells a story of our complex relationship with wildlife and challenges us to see these intelligent creatures through new eyes.
๐๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ง๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐ฟ๐: This exhibition arrives at a crucial moment for changing perspectives and educating our youth. While some children are learning violence, we can show them a different path. Bring your children, your students, and your community to experience the beauty and dignity of baboons through the eyes of South Africa's finest artists. School groups are especially welcome, as art has the power to foster empathy and understanding where words alone may fail. Join us at the Richard Crowie Hall in Kirstenbosch Gardens from 8 - 15 February between 8am and 6pm. Through art and education, we can nurture compassion in the next generation and ensure that tragedies like Raygun's never happen again.
