African Primates: Baboon

The Baboon – like humans – are extremely adaptable and thus they can live in all sorts of habitats. Their adaptability is largely down to their varied diet: The Baboon is both an opportunistic eater and is Omnivorous. Some examples include: Grasses, berries, seeds, pods, blossoms, leaves roots, bark and sap from plants and trees. But they also small quantities of meat such as fish, shellfish, hares, birds, vervet monkeys and even small antelopes. Baboons tend to live in semiarid habitats, like savannahs, but it’s not uncommon at all for them to also live in tropical rainforests, or anywhere with tall tress or cliff faces, as they can then avoid any predators and can sleep in safety. They also require water sources, but usually these habitats provide them with enough water so they don’t have to migrate to other places. In addition to this adaptability, the baboons are one of the largest monkeys in the world, and there are 5 sub-species scattered around Africa and Asia. They also have extremely powerful jaws with very sharp canine teeth and are especially famous for their dog-shaped noses. Baboons always socialise in a group of around 50 and they usually consist of 7 or 8 males, with females and their young making up the core of the group. However, the males will leave their troops as they mature and will go move on to live in other troops and mate with females. Today Baboons are found in abundance from Benin, to the DRC and Tanzania and as far south as Zambia and Mozambique.