Behold the Chacma (or Cape) Baboon.
Despite a friend’s warning that these creatures may be dangerous (reportedly a baboon once killed a baby), we bravely got out of the car and took a picture of this handsome couple. Normally, a Chacma Baboon will not approach humans, or have interest in them. This has been changing due to the number of tourists who offer them tasty foodstuffs. In order to keep the baboons wild, there are loads of signs insisting Do NOT feed the Baboons (Don’t worry, I’m not tempted at all). In the past, baboons that became too tame & labeled ‘problem animals’ were simply shot, causing the Chacma to become threatened. Luckily, in our part of South Africa, the Cape Peninsula, baboons are monitored and are protected. After the group of baboons were finished looking through the car park bin for food and spending some time near the beach (perhaps searching for some yummy protein-rich mussels) they walked back across the street, and under the chain-linked fence to their baboon sanctuary.
For Chacmas, the strongest social bonds are often between unrelated adult males and females. In mixed groups males sometimes try to win the friendship of females. To garner this friendship, they may help groom the female, help care for her young, or supply them with food.
