Gregarious Primates

Baboons rate high on the list of intelligent primates. They are gregarious animals, live in troops of up to 50 or more, and have a well-developed social structure.

This is neither a gorilla nor a chimpanzee, but in fact a Chacma baboon, the only species of baboon native to South Africa. It represents the largest member of the monkey family. The subject in my photo is probably a dominant male, also known as an alpha-male and leader of a troop. Chacmas are omnivorous and forage for wild fruit, bulbs, roots, seeds, insects, scorpions, lizards and bird eggs.

Trivia: a mature male measures about 1.5m from head to tail, and weighs 30kg or more. The life expectancy is between 20 and 30 years.

How human-like is this posture? I've often had the chance to observe how engagingly human-like baboons are, but I must admit, the "attitude" of this baboon still caught me off-guard, sitting comfortably, just like an "old" man, in the fork of a tree. It's no wonder that because of its high intelligence and humanoid habits, the Chacma baboon rates amongst "favourites to spot" during game drives.

Mutual grooming amongst primates has two purposes: they keep each others' fur clean AND that promotes harmony (a sense of well-being?) within a troop. Can we learn something from the latter? After all, we are closely related: primates (in general) are divided into 5 divisions - the most primitive are prosimians (in SA including e.g. the bushbaby), then the somewhat more complex monkeys (in SA e.g. Vervet monkey and Chacma baboon), then the lesser & great apes (the latter including gorillas, orangutans and chimpanzees) and highest on the list are humans - also known as the most dominant and successful group of primates!?

Trivia: chimpanzees share 98% of DNA with humans - sadly that's the main reason why they are often used in scientific experimentation.

More human-like characteristics are "exposed" in this photo (in South Africa, we would call this an ag shame, sweet-moment). Although a disobedient baboon youngster can expect to be disciplined with a cuff from an adult male, the bond between adults and their offspring within a troop is often clearly on display. What amazed me during this "photo-session" is that the visible exchange of trust and affection, is "happening" between a youngster and a male, instead of between a female and her offspring. The mother is in the picture, though, protectively watching procedures.

Chacma baboons "carry" their tails in a characteristic "shepherd's crook" position, whilst the youngster in the photo (right) appears to be playfully trying to straighten the crook - or does it remind you of an action like pulling a chain? Whatever the case, the habit of juvenile baboons forming playgroups represents an important means by which youngsters learn new skills - and reveal human-like characteristics in this process. For which adult hasn't endured being pestered in one way or another, by a youngster?

After a gestation period of 6 months, a female baboon produces a single offspring and doesn't mate again for the following 18 months.
A newborn tends to cling to its mother (left)
or learns to "hitch a ride, jockey-style" once it gets older.

Now to the sad part - baboons are being threatened due to conflict with humans! The photo (left) reveals a typical example of confrontational behaviour by a baboon (as is often the case on the Cape Peninsula - this photo was taken at Cape Point). After years of being fed by visitors to the nature reserve, the baboons have become aggressive (= they expect to be fed!!). Whenever these baboons detect an opportunity to "steal" food from unsuspecting visitors - unfortunately, mostly from defenceless, young children - they take action. A law prohibiting people from feeding animals (who already have learned to help themselves!) therefore appears ineffective. Apart from that, most tourists (foreign and local) find it highly amusing when a baboon (like the one in my photo) reveals the learned tendency of opening packets of (stolen) food, lifting the lids off ice-cream tubs, or even pulling the seals off cold-drink tins. Talk about intelligence!?

Cause for concern for conservationists: in provincial legislation the chacma baboon is NOT classified as a game species - therefore can be shot without a permit!

On a lighter note - during a family "outing" along the western coast of our country, we saw a baboon perched on a water-reservoir, whilst the sheep, standing around, appeared more perplexed than frightened. Once the baboon "sailed" down to the ground, he calmly walked towards the herd of sheep - almost as if the baboon was "paid" to do the job of herding sheep! Now, baboons are often described as having "dog-like" faces (something I hate to hear, as I've explained before, when wild animals are compared with domestic animals). Well, I must admit, during this experience I couldn't help "falling in this trap", since it does appear as if this baboon reveals (sheep-) dog-like symptoms. Surely the farmer didn't train the baboon to herd his sheep??