What Are Baboons?

Baboons are active, noisy, gregarious creatures that live in a variety of habitats including savannah and open grassland. They are social animals that live in troops of around 30 to 40, but up troops with up to 100 members are not unknown.

Although normally seen on the ground, baboons are in fact excellent climbers and will use tall trees or rock ledges as refuges and sleeping sites.

Baboons move around on all fours and have a very characteristic way of carrying their tails. The first section of the tail is held upwards and the remainder is allowed to droop downwards. This posture gives the impression the tail is broken about a third of the way along.

Chiefly vegetarian, the baboon is an opportunistic feeder and will take advantage of most food that crosses its path. Their diet includes fruit, leaves, grasses, bulbs, tubers and flowers, as well as insects, scorpions, lizards, birds' eggs, birds and even new born antelope.