Chacma Baboon (Papio cynocephalus)

Baboons are often found in the close vicinity of Impala. Therefore, especially in early mornings, do not hesitate to follow-up on the loud ‘wha-ha-wha-ha’ of the dominant male – Impala will most probably be found very close to the troop. Baboons have exceptionally long canines, rendering them very dangerous to approach – even to Leopard. Baboons are often found grooming each other. Troops can be as large as 100 animals at a time. Very agile, Baboons prefer to sleep on rocky slopes where there is adequate lookout. They consume basically everything, from lizards, small game to fruit, therefore, omnivorous. Water dependent.

A good approach to hunt Baboon is to determine where they spend their evenings. Once this is known, one can approach this spot before dusk from an upwind direction. Once Baboon start moving around to forage, they always wander upwind. The concealed hunter can therefore effectively ambush the troop. Penetration is easily achieved with these thin-skinned primates. Broadside and quartering away shots are advised. Full frontal shots and shots through the rib cage from behind have been successful before. Ensure good shot placement. If a Baboon is wounded, it quickly extracts the arrow making it difficult to track down. They can cover large distances in a very short time.

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