“People would
ask me why I was studying baboons,” Locadia Dzingwena recalls. “They would say
I should choose something more exciting, like lions or elephants. It was
discouraging.”
yet Locadia
proved them all wrong, with her research focused on chacma baboons (Cape
baboon) and a final mark of 90 percent, graduating with distinction at Mandela
University’s recent graduation on George Campus.
As one of the
few Black women in the field of nature conservation, she often felt out of
place. Despite the criticism, she stayed true to her purpose. She believed that
every species plays an important role in the ecosystem and that baboons
deserved attention too.
“Baboons face
many problems due to climate change and human-wildlife conflict. If we ignore
them, we miss a big part of the story in conservation,” Locadia explains. In
addition, the University’s George Campus is home to some 70 baboons.
She now plans
to continue working in conservation research and education. Her goal is to
protect animals and the environment while helping others learn to care about
lesser-known species.
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