| Since the June 1961 Scientific American article by Sherwood
Washburn and Irven DeVore quoted above, much field work has been done and
much has been published. While the social structure and behavior
of both baboon and impala are now better understood, work has been focused
on one species or the other. Interaction between them has not, to
the best of my knowledge, been studied.
It would take considerable resources to define scientifically the nature
of the relations between the two species. However, with a fairly
modest effort, a start can be made. This Web page aspires to be that
start: a collection of anecdotal reports that can be used by anyone interested
in the voluntary association of impala
and baboon.
|
| Discussion Day Galli Rasmussen Busse Comley Flemix |
|
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Driving along in the morning we come to an overlook. Down in the valley floor is a large open area covered with baboon and impala. Most of the baboon are sitting. The impala are frisky, running all over the place, in and around the baboon. At a superficial level, the impala and baboon seem to be ignoring each other.
Two impala males are play fighting, head to head. The clank of their horns is clearly audible to us in the still morning air. We are perhaps 75 yards away, atop a cliff.
Baboon pairs are grooming. A black infant goes to a large adult who picks it up and inspects its bottom. Youngsters wrestle and play. One female baboon presents to another. Impala run in and around them all the while.
Eventually there is a movement to the right, up the slope to the level we are at . Both impala and baboon participate. Our driver backs up our car, a Land Rover with roof hatches open, to a place where we'll be able to see them if they continue in a straight line.
Many baboon climb a large umbrella acacia and start feeding in it. For a while it looks like they are going to stop there. A few baboon stay on the ground and go slightly further, to the edge of the road but not into the road.
Then two male impala come forward and go down the road away from us.
The baboon go into the road and follow. There's not much speed to this
movement.
The leading impala are joined by two more males. The four of them get
to the top of the rise, the furthest visible point on this packed dirt
road from where we are. There they pause. They spend a long time looking
ahead. Meanwhile one other male impala is part way down the road, off to
the right, standing looking out to the right.
The column of baboon stops. Youngsters start playing. Further back down the line two baboons mate.
There is a start. All the baboon move off the road to the left. Impala move the same way. Nobody moves very far. Shortly they are back in place. We humans do not see what startled them.
Impala females well back in this slow moving procession are grazing.
The four lead impala move forward and pass out of sight. The baboon form up into an approximation of single file and follow.
We drive away down the road in the other direction.
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| The impala would have been Tanzanian impala (Aepyceros melampus suara). The baboon were probably Yellow Baboon (Papio cynocephalus). (The preceding is a slightly edited version of Tom Day's 8/14 journal entry.) |
Dr. D.R. Rasmussen wrote on 12 Sept. 2002
When we began research on baboons at Mikumi National Park, |
Curt Busse wrote on 23 Sept. 2002
Baboons and impala are common throughout the Okavango Delta, Botswana. My
impression is that these species associate with each other more than expected
by chance, and - based on their reactions to me - that impala are less
vigilant against predators when in the presence of baboons.I observed two troops of chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) in the Okavango from
June 1977 to June 1980. Prior to this study the baboons had not been
habituated to human observers, and even during the study they gave alarm
barks to local human inhabitants in canoes or on foot, even at distances of
more than 100 meters. All of my observations were made on foot.Large predators, including lions, leopards, crocodiles, and spotted hyenas,
were common, and wild dogs, cheetah, and human poachers were seen on
occasion. I witnessed lions and leopards attacking baboons, and I twice found
the remains of impala cached in trees, possibly by leopards. I should also
mention that during the study baboons killed and ate four newborn impala.It was not uncommon to encounter full-grown impala foraging within the
perimeter of a baboon troop. The impala sometimes strayed toward me,
especially if I remained still or partially hidden. One morning, while I sat
on the ground in a small woodland watching baboons, an adult impala
approached to within one meter of me. Nose twitching, it stared at me for
perhaps 30 seconds before backing away several steps, snorting, and trotting
away. Most of the baboons stopped what they were doing, watched the impala
scamper off, then returned to their grooming or feeding activities.Although I maintained no systematic records on impala sightings, I would
estimate that I was within 20 m of impala on at least a dozen occasions when
in the presence of baboons. By contrast, I cannot recall ever getting closer
than 50 m to impala when not in the presence of baboons. The impala acted
like they did not expect to encounter humans near the baboons, and their
behavior might well reflect a greater feeling of safety around baboons.ps: Baboons also associated with warthogs, although to a lesser extent. More
than once I found myself uncomfortably close to a warthog.
Peter Comley of the Chobe
Travel Shop wrote on 26 Sept. 2002
Baboons and impala are seen together frequently and it is my observation |
Norman Galli
of
Kwando
Safaris, Botswana and Zambia, wrote on 29 Sept. 2002
My experience with wildlife, having worked in this field since 1983, is that relationships between species are a lot less complicated than we think. What might at first seem to be puzzling and unexplained is actually quite simple. In fact, it has been my experience that the answers are so simple that we totally overlook them. |
During my time here at Lebala, I have noticed a definite symbiotic relationship between
baboon and impala.I have also noticed baboons interacting with other antelope species. On two occasions I
have seen a troop of baboons not far from the Camp feeding with a herd of Roan antelope.
Both of these occasions were at midday (11:00 – 12.10). It was in an area of tall thatch
grass, Acacia tortilis, Acacia luderitzii, and sausage trees (Kigelia africana). While
the Roan were resting, I observed them rubbing and thrashing small trees, I presume for
territorial status. As soon as the Roan moved away, the Baboons rushed over to feed on
these trees and bushes. After feeding they rested, staying in the area. Then the Roan
returned, perhaps having gone to drink, and stayed in the shade among the Baboons.I observed some of the adult baboons getting very close to some of the Roan. It
seemed to me that both species were comfortable in each others presence, quite
unusual for Roan, which are shy by nature to other species.
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Subspecies. Is one baboon subspecies more likely to associate with impala than another?
Duration. How long do the species stay together?
Do individuals of one species identify and relate to individuals of the other?
Initiative. Do both species initiate association?