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A Baboon Family

 


A Baboon Family

This baboon family makes me happy. The setting is peaceful, all four calmly sitting on a rock, at rest. Except for the baby looking directly at our game vehicle with curiosity, the other three's eyes gazing elsewhere.  Despite their sharp as daggers canine teeth, nut-crushing jaws, naughty opportunistic foraging of camper's food, and a hierarchy of dominating male bullies, baboons can be quiet and peaceful, going about their daily business in a well-defined social order. 


These old-world monkeys thrive in friend and family units; females form strong bonds to raise and protect the kids, forage for food, and stay loyal to the troop for their entire lives. Like human families, they comfort each other, play, and squabble but ultimately come together for the good of the community and protection from predators - for the most part.


Yes, there's a bit of infanticide by the males, beating females for the heck of it, violently tossing little ones to the side when they become annoying, and when it comes to food, it's every baboon for themself. There is no sharing—only survival.


When you think about it, every animal in the wild is a survivalist - not the Jeff Probst kind, there's no promise of a million dollars and fleeting fame, nor is there an evacuation helicopter ready should something go awry. So if a baboon messes up, runs too slowly, climbs a tree too lazily, or gets hurt, it quickly becomes a meal for prowling predators. It's the circle of life according to biology, or Elton John! Same concept!


Besides the big cats, hyenas, or crocs now and again, humans are the biggest threat to baboons' survival. Interestingly, humans have a genetic similarity of 94% to baboons, so killing them is kind of like killing ourselves. 


The mighty Homosapien, the biggest threat to baboons and humans alike!


#baboons #homosapiens #jeffprobst #survivalists #infanticide #eltonjohn #circleoflife #writing #personalessay #lastmonthsinsouthafrica #everybaboonforthemself

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