The National Council of SPCAs has embarked on a large-scale programme to educate children and adults about animals.

This comes after the gruesome killing of Raygun the baboon, at Botleng High School in Delmas.

It is alleged that learners attacked the baboon and then set it alight.

NSPCA spokesperson Samanta Stelli, “We will go to areas where people may encounter wildlife to provide some education and awareness on the steps to take if they do feel threated by wildlife and how they can respond. There was a male Chacma baboon that had been seen in the Pretoria area. Unfortunately, he found himself at the school in Delmas and the learners or the children at the school saw him and what happened next is that he was attacked and set alight.”

Cultural expert and traditional healer, Sofani Ndala says the stereotype associated with baboons and witchcraft, may have been the cause for the killing.

“We will go to areas where people may have encountered wildlife to provide some education and awareness on the steps to take if they do feel threated by wildlife and how they can respond.”