Characteristics of the Baboon

Behaviors with other animals, Mating/young, and Hunting habit

The Baboon lives in groups of 15-150. The group is made of a few males, many females, and their babies. These monkeys have a complex social structure that are similar to that found in other primates, such as gorillas and chimpanzees. Depending on its dominance, each baboon has a social ranking somewhere in the group. Female dominance is hereditary, with daughters having nearly the same rank as their mothers. Males, however, acquire their dominance more forcefully.  They are known to try to bully other males and cow them into obedience.  Fights are common between males, and the loser will submit to the strong one. Dominance among baboons means an easier time mating and earlier accesses to food. This often means that there is a great deal of fighting over rank, with younger males constantly trying to rise in position. Because females stay with their group their entire life, and males emigrate to others, there is often a new male challenging an older one for dominance. Frequently, when older baboons drop in the social rank, they will move to another tribe. The observation of baboons by animal science have shown that the younger males often bully and harass the older dominant baboons.

The reports about baboons indicate that three or four dominant males control the group and they are the ones who look out for danger, which is usually leopard. Leopards favor baboons on their menu and are important in limiting their population. In places where leopards are removed, baboon numbers rapidly increase. Young baboons are known to cling for life (literally) onto the fur of the mother's underbelly, until they grow big. Baboons are very curious and learn fast. They often approach cars and habitations, in which case they soon become a nuisance if they are fed by the unaware visitor. Baboons take an extremely wide range of food, such as grubs, spiders, scorpions, fruit, roots, insects and bird or reptile eggs.