What’s up friends? hope you all are enjoying the variety offered
by us, from various trip reports to birds, animals and some time off track visit
to a place like Delhi. The variety is unmatched because we cover places across
the Globe. The word Globe reminds me of my Kenya diary so I was searching
something different hence I thought a lot and finalized Baboon for today’s
topic. You must be thinking why Baboon? Its monkey family only what is
different? Yes, it is a type of monkey only but is different in many aspects, it
is found in the region of Africa or Arabia, which I am sure not many us are even
aware. Many such reasons are there to know about Baboons hence today let me
take you to Kenya once again, let’s set fly to Baboon’s home.
Entry to the Baboon’s zone
Before I start with detailing let me tell you
small information on what we noticed during Masai visit. The experience with
Baboon will always be different from the other animals because of the bonding
of Baboon with its newborn is unmatched from others. It really touches your
heart when you see the kind of care they take. The bond between mother and
infant baboon is very special. The mother carries the young until he or she is
able to ride on her back. They are in constant contact for the first few
months, and the mother is very attentive. They are allowed to interact and play
with others only when they reach around 4 years. We tried our best to bring you
some pictures showing such bond, do visit DSLR section, now let me update you
on basic details of Baboons and then will share some unheard facts as well.
The Basics of Baboon
There are five species of baboons. The two most common
species, olive baboons and yellow baboons, live in East Africa. Guinea
baboon is the smallest baboon species, while the Chacma baboon is the largest
Baboons are primarily vegetarian, however; they will eat
insects, and occasionally fish, birds and small mammals
Baboons are social primates who tend to live in groups of
around 50 individuals (groups can be up to 300 though!
Females tend to give birth every other year. They usually
have one infant and their gestation period is 6 months
Male baboons are two times larger than females. Baboons can
reach 14 to 30 inches in height at the shoulder and 50 to 100 pounds in weight
Baboons have a long, dog-like muzzle and strong jaw equipped
with sharp canines
Baboons are territorial animals that will aggressively defend
their territory and family against other baboons and predators
Their principal predators are Nile crocodiles, lions, hyenas,
leopards, and cheetahs. They are considered a difficult prey for the leopard,
though, which is mostly a threat to young baboons
Unheard Facts
Baboons are very strong animals and have sharp canine teeth
similar in length to lions
Baboons have a range of different vocalizations for
communicating with each other. Over 30 distinct vocalizations including grunts
and screams are used in addition to a plethora of non-vocal gestures such as
shrugging and lip smacking
The baboon was revered in Ancient Egyptian culture, being
admired for its intelligence. The baboon was also the symbol of the god Thoth and was sometimes depicted as a guardian of the dead in the underworld
They can raid human dwellings, and in South Africa, they have
been known to prey on sheep and goats
Baboons in captivity have been known to live up to 45 years,
while in the wild their life expectancy is about 30 years
No comments:
Post a Comment