A baboon is a fascinating creature rarely encountered on a game drive at Londolozi, and their behaviour never fails to captivate. Recently, a rare sighting of a male baboon devouring an impala lamb sparked my curiosity about their remarkably diverse diet. In this blog, we delve into the intriguing dietary habits of baboons and the crucial role they play in maintaining ecological balance.
A baby Baboon latches on to its mother’s fur while hanging under her belly and simultaneously suckling whilst its mother searches the ground for food.
A Glimpse into Chacma Baboons’ Lives
Chacma baboons, residing in troops of 20 to 50 members, exhibit a dynamic social structure with clear hierarchies. The African bush echoes with the sounds of their playful and confrontational interactions, shaping a vivid picture of their daily lives.
A young baboon clings to its mother while a third one grooms. The stark appearance of a dead knob thorn can provide a safe haven for many animals. The high vantage point keeps these baboons away from danger.
The troop’s social dynamics are ever-changing, contributing to their adaptability over their impressive 40-year lifespan. Males, dominant in the troop, exhibit complex interactions, often mating with multiple females. This adaptability and resilience are vital for their survival in the natural environment.
A male baboon shows his impressive canines in a display of dominance and intimidation to the lowly-ranked males of the troop
The Londolozi Bushveld Food palate
Londolozi provides an ideal playground for baboons, offering large trees for climbing, playing, and nightly shelter. The reserve’s diverse food sources naturally attract them to the Sand River area.
Baboons display an omnivorous nature, allowing them to consume a variety of foods, and showcasing adaptability in their feeding habits. The Londolozi menu for baboons includes:
- Fruits and Berries: Chacma baboons indulge in a variety of fruits and berries, foraging both in trees and on the ground. Seasonal fruits such as Jackalberry, Fig, Sour Plum, and Marula Tree fruits are particular favourites.
- Leaves and Vegetation: Baboons supplement their diet with leaves, young shoots, and various plant materials, browsing a range of plants, including grasses and herbs.
- Seeds and Nuts: Apart from fruits, baboons crack open hard shells with their powerful jaws to access the nutritious contents of seeds and nuts.
- Insects and Invertebrates: Baboons, opportunistic insectivores, turn to insects, spiders, and small invertebrates when other food sources are scarce, especially in winter. Occasionally overturning rocks and logs to see what creatures hide beneath.
- Small Vertebrates: In a surprising twist, baboons occasionally prey on small birds, bird eggs, and even small mammals. Recently observed was the rare event of baboons catching and consuming impala lambs, showcasing their adaptability and opportunistic nature.
A Chacma Baboon carries an Impala lamb in its mouth that we presume he had killed before we found him and his troop.
Foraging Adventures
Observing a baboon troop in action is a fascinating experience. The large males take the lead, scanning for potential dangers, while the rest of the troop spreads out, foraging for delectable finds. Covering 5-10km between sunrise and sunset, they utilize their large mouths and cheek pouches to store food for later digestion.
Though primarily terrestrial, baboons may climb trees to seek insects and fruits in canopies. As night descends, they sleep high in the trees along rivers, avoiding potential dangers.
Three members of a troop at different ages perch on a dead tree on the lookout for any danger.
I have witnessed a baboon jumping on top of an active termite mound attempting to catch winged alates during their emergence in the summer months. During the drier winter days, I have comically watched them rip bark off tree trunks as well as dig up roots and tubers from underground.
Ecological Harmony
Baboons in the Kruger National Park, play a vital role in the local food web. By consuming both plant and animal matter, they become a nutrient source for predators like lions and leopards.
Marthly Male drags a baboon carcass behind a vehicle.
Furthermore, Baboons are responsible for insect control, and seed dispersal of plant species they consume. They dig for roots, tubers, corms and rhizomes, helping to aerate the soil of the area. Their impact on the land and surrounding species is significant, highlighting the delicate ecological harmony they help maintain.
As we have discovered, baboons consume and digest food from both plant and animal sources, showing adaptability in their feeding habits. It was so interesting to watch a baboon exploit the vulnerability of the Impala lambs at this time of the year when there are hundreds of lambs running around. Baboons’ adaptability and clever opportunism in the bush make them a vital link in the intricate web of life.
He seemed to be a very selfish baboon and was not letting any of the other members of the troop near his prized catch. A Chacma Baboon carries an Impala lamb in its mouth that we presume he had killed before we found him and his troop.
A male baboon tears open the body of an impala lamb and proceeds to feed on it. This was a truly remarkable sighting.
Fascinating blog Nick, thank you for the information on baboons.
Hi Nick, it seems a peculiarity of the dominant male to feed like that. Meat is a quick great source of proteins and fats so it’s a right of the leader and he will share it with nobody else. It is quite awful to watch, as they have no selected predation technique and simply eat the lamb alive…
Indeed, Francesca. It was quite a graphic scene – fortunately we did not witness him catching the lamb.
Thanks, Nick, for this interesting blog on baboons diets. I had not known that they have mouth and cheek pouches for storing food. You wrote that the baboon that caught the impala lamb was a selfish one because he didn’t share any of his food with others. Do they normally share food?
Hi Christa, He did not share the lamb likely because he was one of the larger dominant males of the troop. I am not sure if baboons do share their food as their diet is so varied and often includes small insects and fruits.
Great sighting Nick and a wonderful post. You say they are rarely seen at Londolozi – could that be as result of the high leopard numbers in the Sabi Sands or is it a roosting habitat issue? Would love to know what percentage of their diet is protein? Chat soon HK
Hi Nick, shame the poor little impala lambs get caught and eaten up. But I suppose that is also a way in which to make sure there is not too many impala’s. They eat just about everything and the little baboons are cute. The do good for the economic system and they deserve their place in the bush.
Thanks for the comment Valmai. Indeed they play an important role in the Greater Kruger ecosystem by controlling the number of Impala as well as seed dispersal and insect control.
This was a fascinating blog today Nick referencing the diet of baboons. I knew they were omnivores but hadn’t realized that they actually hunted mammals as large as an impala lamb, although given the size of the male baboon in contrast to the lamb, it does make sense for something so small and weak. Their family units seem very strong although it seems the dominant male is not opposed to chasing away or killing another mature male that tries to mate with his females. Thanks for adding this article to the other informative blogs you and the team contribute to our continuing education of the flora and fauna found in the Sabi Sand region of South Africa.
Absolute pleasure Denise. Thanks for reading the blogs and constantly engaging with the team. We are pleased to share the wonderful stories and knowledge of the African bush.
Baboons seem to have a reputation for cruelty. A troop was witnessed playing with an impala lamb for days until they had their fill and finally consumed him. That cruelty aspect in the species (if you think of it humans also display that cruelty – so is this cruelty feature particular to the species or just random) makes me shiver.
I heard leopards relish the baboon meat. And they are so afraid of leopards, in some areas, troops sleep on the power lines that traverse certain game reserves. At least a leopard cannot climb a power line.
Of utilizing man made structures for survival ….
Hi Amazia, the leopards do love the taste of Baboon meat and are a large predator of their species. With regard to the cruelty of baboons, I would disagree and rather justify that behaviour as playful which is in their nature. They are predators at the end of the day and will feed on meat to survive.
So interesting, Nick. I had no idea they foraged for 5-10km/day or that they would go after impala lambs. Their opportunistic and varied diets no doubt play a huge role in their adaptability and success. I read in Boyd’s book about how they can be quite the nuisance in camp. 😳
Hi Chelsea, thanks for the comment. Yes they can be a nuisance in camp however they haven’t figured out how to use the new latches on the doors in camp!
But baboons are very knowledgeable and problem solvers which makes them unique.