A safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda - October 2007

OLIVE BABOONS
(Papiocynocephalus anubis)

Baboons are the most adaptable of Africa’s primates, if you don’t include human beings. They are intelligent and crafty. And they are regarded by most villagers as pesky, stealing fruit for eating . . . and generally causing disruption. They can live just about anywhere.   The baboons we saw are “olive baboons,” so called because of the general coloration. These occur in Uganda, western Kenya and northern Tanzania. They grow as tall as 40 inches at the shoulder, and can weigh as much as 100 pounds. The males are about twice the size as the females.   They sleep in tall trees or along cliffs. We happened upon this little band while driving out of the Park, where, indeed, we found a stand of tall trees on the edge of a steep incline. They require nearby water, but will forage as much as six miles in a day. They spend the morning and late afternoon hours eating, and in the heat of the day they sleep. Otherwise, they spend their time grooming each other.   Baboons are omnivores – they will eat anything, but prefer grasses, berries, fruit, leaves and insect. They will occasionally eat small hares and even small antelope.