“I only shot at the animal after it attacked my wife and scratched me,” is how Louis Goosen of Cape Town, South Africa justifies his shooting a baboon in his garage last week. The 77-year-old said he was working in his garage when he turned to see a baboon staring him down. “It must have been four feet high, it gave me the fright of my life.” Goosen said in an interview with www.iol.co.za.
According to Goosen, the baboon ran into his kitchen where it was quickly followed by a troop of nine more baboons. The South African vermin then ransacked the kitchen. Goosen quickly retrieved his gun and popped off six rounds into the air to scare the animals. The troop scattered at the shots.
A half hour later the first baboon returned and attacked Goosen and his wife. Goosen shot the animal in self-defense and for the protection of his wife. At least that’s Goosen’s story. His neighbors have a different story. Their story involves Goosen chasing the baboon into an adjoining property before shooting it twice. Regardless of how it happened, Goosen was reprimanded by the authorities. Cape of Good Hope SPCA wildlife unit manager Brett Glasby said, “The owner has been charged by the police for discharging his firearm in a built-up area. I have also opened a docket for a charge of harming an animal, and he faces charges from nature conservation for harming a protected species and hunting without a license.”
For some reason authorities took the shot baboon to a hospital where an X-ray revealed a .22 caliber bullet in its spine. Glasby said this left the baboon paralyzed and gave him no choice but to have the animal euthanized.
I need some comments on this one. Did Goosen do anything wrong? Did the little kitchen marauder have it coming? Or should Goosen have tried to reason with the four foot tall bundle of muscle and canine fangs ripping through his house? Comment below!