Green Group - Simonstown

17/06/2026

We didn’t notice them leaving. 😢😢

They didn’t disappear in one day.
They left slowly.

One forest at a time.
One river at a time.
One wetland at a time.
One careless choice at a time.

While we were busy buying the latest model, nature was losing its oldest members.

The bee left quietly.
The frog stopped singing.
The birds changed their route.
The fish vanished from the river.
And the animals walked toward extinction while humans kept scrolling.

This is the tragedy of our time:
we are not watching the collapse…
we are shopping through it.

When biodiversity goes, humans don’t win.
We stand next in line.

Please Plant trees Plant hope 🌳❤🌳

Help us to Plant Trees 🌳🌍🌳

https://www.ketto.org/fundraiser/help-to-plant-1-trillion-tree-worldwide

11/06/2026

A clean windshield may look like a small comfort…😢😢

But it can also be a warning sign.

Years ago, a night drive meant bugs on the glass, insects around lights, birds feeding in the fields, and nature buzzing with life.

Today, the road looks cleaner… but the silence is louder.

Fewer insects means fewer pollinators.
Fewer insects means fewer birds.
Fewer insects means ecosystems slowly breaking down.

Not every loss is loud.
Some disappear quietly… until one day, we finally notice.

Protect insects. Protect biodiversity. Protect the planet.

10/06/2026

07/06/2026

Yesterday, as I was driving out, I saw Bobby.

For those who don’t know him, Bobby is BB1, the baboon from Tokai who broke his back as a youngster and relied heavily on his brother, BB2. The two were inseparable.

As adults they became separated, and Bobby eventually found himself in Hout Bay before being relocated to Simon’s Town. Shortly afterwards, the devastating fire of 2023 broke out. Against all odds, Bobby survived and somehow made his way down to Paradise Road, where he spent time recovering on rooftops, helped in no small part by the kindness of local residents who watched over him during that difficult period.

His brother, BB2, ended up in Diep River, almost certainly looking for Bobby. He too was relocated and, as far as we know, the brothers never saw each other again.

When Bobby first arrived in Simon’s Town, he was probably one of the most submissive adult males I had ever encountered. He desperately wanted to belong. He was often bullied, frequently injured, and carried the scars of battles he never seemed to seek out. Even youngsters would harass him as he tried to find his place within the troop.

But Bobby never gave up.

Slowly, patiently, and through sheer determination, he earned his place. The gentle, damaged baboon that many of us worried about became one of the troop’s most successful males. He survived challenges that would have defeated many others, formed strong bonds, fathered offspring, and became a respected member of the troop.

Yet what makes Bobby extraordinary is not his strength.

It is his kindness.

Years ago, Lefty, a tripedal female and amputee, gave birth to little Linda. Lefty’s previous babies had often become vulnerable once they were old enough to walk but still needed close supervision. Bobby stepped in and began carrying Linda himself.

Since then, he has continued carrying and caring for his youngsters.

Yesterday, I watched Bobby walking quietly down the road carrying another tiny daughter. There was no drama. No aggression. No conflict.

Just a father carrying his child.

That image has stayed with me.

Because for all the debates, politics, management plans, public meetings, opinions, complaints and endless arguments, sometimes the truth is much simpler.

Sometimes it is just a father protecting his daughter.

As we face an uncertain future for these troops, I find myself thinking about all the stories we risk losing.

Not the statistics.

Not the management reports.

The stories.

Stories like Bobby’s.

A youngster who broke his back.

A brother who lost his brother.

A baboon who survived fires, relocations, bullying and hardship.

A gentle soul who never stopped trying to belong.

A devoted father carrying his daughter down a road in Simon’s Town.

May Bobby remain safe.

May his offspring remain safe.

May his troop remain safe.

And may we never forget that behind every baboon is a life, a history, a family, and a story worth telling.

04/06/2026

A Special Appeal for Prime CREW Wildlife

Many of you know Green Group works alongside organisations that care for and protect baboons. One of those organisations is Prime CREW Wildlife, led by Luzanne and her dedicated team.

When baboons are injured, orphaned, displaced, or in need of specialist rehabilitation, Prime CREW is often one of the organisations that steps in to help. Over the years, they have cared for baboons from all walks of life and have dedicated themselves to giving vulnerable animals a second chance.

What many people may not realise is that Prime CREW has had an exceptionally difficult year. Large parts of Limpopo have been severely affected by storms and flooding. Roads have been washed away, infrastructure damaged, fences destroyed, and wildlife displaced. Prime CREW has had to deal with these challenges while continuing its day-to-day rehabilitation and rescue work.

At the same time, volunteer numbers have been lower than usual, while the need for rescues has remained high. Many of you will be familiar with the outstanding work done by Owl Rescue Centre. As the number of baboon rescues has increased, a number of those animals have also found their way into the care of Luzanne and her team for ongoing rehabilitation and specialist care.

Between storm damage, infrastructure repairs, fuel costs, staff salaries, veterinary care, baby formula, food, and the everyday expenses of running a wildlife rehabilitation centre, the financial pressure has become significant.

Those of us who work with baboons know that rescue and rehabilitation do not happen by magic. They happen because dedicated people are willing to answer the phone at all hours, travel long distances, and commit their lives to helping animals that have nowhere else to turn.

Luzanne has asked supporters to consider setting up a small monthly scheduled payment. It does not need to be a large amount. A small contribution from many people can provide stability and help ensure that Prime CREW can continue its important work.

If you are able to assist, please consider supporting Prime CREW Wildlife.

Banking Details

Prime CREW Wildlife NPC
FNB
Account Number: 62895349027
Branch Code: 250655
Swift Code: FIRNZAJJ

Every contribution, no matter how small, helps ensure that when the next call comes, there is someone able to answer it.

03/06/2026

Another day, another victim of the unchecked speeding through Simon’s Town.

Today, a little female juvenile baboon was killed on the Main Road, right in front of the Navy’s HQ,a stretch where residents have long raised concerns. Before anyone says, “the baboons shouldn’t be there,” let’s remember this is the same road where penguins have been hit, schoolgirls were injured, cars crashed, and residents struggled to cross safely.

The speed limit is meant to be 40–60 km/h, but taxis often tear through at over 100 km/h, weaving through traffic. Nothing,whether a baboon, penguin, or human, can react fast enough.

Some may think this is “good” when wildlife is involved, but this road harms everyone. Today it’s a baboon. Yesterday, it was a genet. Tomorrow, it could be a child or another resident.

Simon’s Town is a community, not a highway. While it is a provincial road, that’s not an excuse. We need real traffic calming: pedestrian crossings, traffic lights, and enforcement. Provincial roads elsewhere have these measures. Why is Simon’s Town ignored?

We can’t allow anyone to think they can blast through town at 120 km/h. It must stop. Let’s implement solutions before another life,human or animal is lost.

31/05/2026

We are deeply saddened to share that Dr Celia Fenn passed away on Thursday.

As Green Group, we would like to wish her eternal peace, wherever she may now be. Celia was a deeply spiritual soul, and we hope that wherever she is, she watches over all of us and over the animals and vulnerable beings she cared for so deeply throughout her life.

Celia was one of Green Group’s quiet pillars of support. Month after month, she helped keep us afloat through her generosity and kindness. Thanks to her, our rangers were always equipped for every season with proper jackets, rain gear, clothing and essentials. We often joked that they were probably the best-dressed rangers in South Africa, but behind that was something very real: Celia made people feel supported, valued and cared for.

She loved this community, she loved animals, and she understood the importance of compassion in a world that can so often lack it.

We will miss her greatly, and I am personally heartbroken that I will not see her again.

Rest gently, Celia. Thank you for everything you gave so quietly and so selflessly. Celia Fenn

30/05/2026

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT HEARS LANDMARK CASE ON WILDLIFE WELL-BEING

Stepping into South Africa’s apex court is always a profoundly moving experience. Built on the historic site of the Old Fort Prison Complex in Braamfontein, the Constitutional Court stands as a symbol of South Africa’s transition from oppression to constitutional democracy. It is a space shaped by some of the country’s most influential jurists, from Arthur Chaskalson and Pius Langa to Dikgang Moseneke and Edwin Cameron, whose jurisprudence has fundamentally transformed the understanding of dignity, equality, justice, and constitutional accountability in South Africa.

On 26 May 2026, the Constitutional Court heard what may become one of the most consequential environmental and ethical matters in modern South African jurisprudence. At the centre of the dispute lies a deceptively simple issue - the inclusion of the concept of “well-being” within the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA). Yet beneath that single word lies a far deeper constitutional question: whether South Africa’s biodiversity governance framework will continue evolving in line with constitutional jurisprudence recognising that animals, including wild animals, are sentient beings with intrinsic value whose well-being matters.

The matter before the Court - South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association v Speaker of the National Assembly and Others (CCT 270/24) - concerns an attempt by hunting industry interests to strike down the “well-being” provisions incorporated into NEMBA.

The South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association (SAHGCA) argued that Parliament failed to facilitate meaningful public participation before incorporating wildlife “well-being” provisions into the legislation. According to SAHGCA, the final wording of the definition changed after the public participation process and therefore violated sections 59(1)(a) and 72(1)(a) of the Constitution, which require Parliament to facilitate public involvement in legislative processes.

SAHGCA contends that the definition of well-being was changed after the public participation process and that this amounts to a failure to comply with the constitutional obligation to facilitate public involvement in legislative processes. It further argues that because the impugned provisions rely on the definition of well-being, the alleged defect invalidates the broader legislative amendments.

The EMS Foundation intervened in the proceedings as the fifteenth respondent, represented by Advocate Ian Learmonth and environmental law firm Cullinan and Associates, opposing the challenge and defending the inclusion of wildlife well-being within South African environmental law.

The EMS Foundation argued that the changes made during the legislative process were not materially different from the concepts already subjected to years of public consultation and therefore did not invalidate Parliament’s public participation obligations. The Foundation further argued that the application was not brought timeously and that striking down the well-being provisions would be entirely inconsistent with current constitutional jurisprudence regarding the protection of animals.

The EMS Foundation’s view is that it would be entirely inconsistent with existing constitutional jurisprudence and current policy relating to wild animals if the immediate striking out of the well-being provisions is granted, leaving South Africa’s framework biodiversity legislation devoid of any meaningful provision recognising the well-being of non-human animals.

The hearing was marked by sustained and probing engagement from the Constitutional Court bench. Throughout proceedings, the Judges repeatedly interrogated the central issue of materiality: whether the amendments complained of by SAHGCA were truly so significant that they invalidated Parliament’s public participation process and rendered the legislation unconstitutional.

READ our full statement:

https://emsfoundation.org.za/constitutional-court-hears-landmark-case-on-wildlife-well-being/

©️EMS Foundation 2026