What Do Baboons Eat? – Londolozi Blog

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 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 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:

1. 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.
2. Leaves and Vegetation:  Baboons supplement their diet with leaves, young shoots, and various plant materials, browsing a range of plants, including grasses and herbs.
3. Seeds and Nuts:  Apart from fruits, baboons crack open hard shells with their powerful jaws to access the nutritious contents of seeds and nuts.
4. 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.
5. 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.