Baboon

© Shem Compion

Name

Baboon [Papio sp.]

The baboon is a large primate with a dog-like face and big, prominent canines. Baboons are omnivorous, feeding on lizards, birds and their eggs. They will often kill the new borns' of some Antelope and even Leopard cubs.

The Chacma Baboon feeds on just about every part of a tree. They eat grass, seeds, rhizomes, berries, mushrooms, fruit, eggs and small animal-like insects, earth worms, birds, lizards, and less occasionally they will kill and eat scrub hares and baby Impalas.

©Roger de la Harpe

Baboons inhabit woodlands, semi-deserts and sub alpine meadows along the Drakensberg. They spend most of their time on the ground. The only time they go into trees is to escape predators, get food, or spend the night. They might also spend the night on tall rocky outcroppings.

Baboon babies usually go up in trees to around and play with each other. There are two main races of baboon in Africa, the Chacma Baboon of Southern Africa and the Yellow Baboon of East Africa.

Read more about the Chacma Baboon

Kruger National Park - South African Safari