Chacma baboons are great fun to watch and I have long been fascinated by their antics in my travels around the Cape Peninsula of South Africa. It is impossible to observe baboons and not project human emotions and behaviours on them; they are fascinating to watch precisely because their actions seem so humanlike. I remember an incident a few years ago... We stopped briefly at Sir Lowry’s Pass outside Cape Town and encountered a mother baboon nursing her dead baby. It was one of the most heart rending sights I have seen and still haunts me today. Watching them reveals their distinctive personalities, like this youngster who is quite obviously having a great time at her mother’s expense. The mother looks exhausted but doesn't seem to think its worth complaining about...Sadly, though, these intelligent and social creatures are becoming regarded as pests more and more. Traditionally, a Chacma baboon will not approach humans or show much interest in them, but this has changed as many tourists feed them and as a result they associate tasty treats with humans.
So next time you’re traveling in the area, please take note of the signs warning visitors not to feed the baboons as these amazing creatures are paying the ultimate price and look destined to become yet another African wildlife statistic.
http://www.baboonmatters.org.za/
Posts
