FaunaHub

Baboon (Papio anubis)

MammalPrimateAfrica

Olive baboon (Papio anubis) walking, a large dog-faced monkey, in an African park.

Olive baboon (Papio anubis), Uganda.

Image: Giles Laurent, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Overview

Baboons (genus Papio) are among the largest and most familiar of the Old World monkeys — sturdy, ground-dwelling primates with long, dog-like muzzles, powerful jaws with large canine teeth, and close-set eyes. The olive baboon (Papio anubis), shown here, is one of the most widespread species. Baboons are mainly terrestrial, spending much of the day foraging on the ground across the savannas, woodlands, and rocky areas of Africa (and a corner of Arabia).

They are highly intelligent and intensely social, living in large troops with elaborate hierarchies, alliances, and relationships that make them a major subject in the study of primate behaviour.

Note: there are several baboon species with somewhat different habits; details here use the olive baboon as a reference. Treat general statements as approximate and verify against authoritative sources.

Habitat & Range

Baboons live across much of sub-Saharan Africa (with the hamadryas baboon also reaching Arabia), in savanna, grassland, open woodland, and rocky hills and cliffs. They are adaptable and can live near people and farmland, needing safe sleeping sites — typically tall trees or cliffs — and access to food and water within their range.

Diet

Baboons are opportunistic omnivores with very broad diets: grasses, seeds, roots, tubers, fruit, flowers, and bulbs, plus insects, eggs, and small animals — and even, occasionally, prey such as young antelope or other small mammals. This dietary flexibility lets them thrive in many habitats, but can also bring them into conflict with farmers when they raid crops.

Behavior

Baboon societies are famously complex. Troops can number from a dozen to well over a hundred, structured by dominance hierarchies among both females (whose rank is often inherited) and males, and held together by grooming, alliances, friendships, and constant social negotiation. They communicate with a rich range of calls, facial expressions, and gestures. Such sophisticated social lives have made baboons a central model for understanding stress, cooperation, and relationships in primates.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Baboons live close to people across much of Africa, which makes them familiar but also a frequent source of conflict — they raid crops and, where habituated (for example by tourists feeding them), can become bold around food. Most baboon species remain widespread and are not of major conservation concern, though habitat change and conflict are issues. Feeding wild baboons is strongly discouraged. Consult authoritative sources for species-specific status.

More photos of the baboon

An olive baboon with a juvenile.

Olive baboon (Papio anubis) with young.

Image: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently Asked Questions — Baboon

Are baboons apes or monkeys?
Baboons are monkeys — specifically large Old World monkeys in the genus Papio. They have tails (apes do not) and the body plan of monkeys, although their size and ground-living habits can make people mistake them for apes. They are relatives of macaques and mandrills.
How complex are baboon societies?
Very. Baboons live in large troops with detailed dominance hierarchies among both males and females, plus alliances, friendships, and inherited social ranks. They manage these relationships through grooming, calls, and gestures, and their social lives are sophisticated enough to be a major model for studying primate behaviour, stress, and cooperation.
What do baboons eat?
Baboons are opportunistic omnivores. They eat grasses, seeds, roots, tubers, fruit, flowers, and bulbs, along with insects, eggs, and small animals, and they will occasionally hunt small prey. This very broad diet is a big reason baboons succeed in so many habitats.
Are baboons dangerous to people?
Wild baboons usually avoid people, but they are large, strong, and bold, especially where they have learned to associate humans with food. Habituated baboons can raid homes and crops and may behave aggressively around food. Keeping your distance and never feeding them is the safest approach for both people and baboons.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.