Olive Baboon: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Monkeys of Africa and Asia · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. From far away its fur looks olive green-grey, hence the name. Up close, each hair has rings of yellow-brown and black.
2. Its tail looks almost broken. It points up for the first quarter, then drops down sharply.
3. In Eritrea, baboons drink from water holes dug by elephants. In return, the elephants use baboons in the treetops as lookouts.
4. Olive baboons have a whole set of calls. At night, a loud wa-hoo warns of predators or a neighbouring troop.
5. It hunts for food on every level: underground, on the ground and up in the treetops. Most animals stick to just one.

The quiz

1. Why is it called the olive baboon?

• It loves eating olives
• Its fur looks green-grey from a distance (correct)
• It lives in olive groves
• Its eyes are olive green

Seen from afar, its coat is a shade of green-grey.

2. What does the olive baboon's tail look like?

• It curls into a spiral
• It is fluffy like a fox's
• It grips branches like a hand
• It looks broken: up, then sharply down (correct)

It stands up for the first quarter, then drops down sharply.

3. How do olive baboons and elephants help each other in Eritrea?

• Baboons use elephant water holes, elephants use baboons as lookouts (correct)
• Baboons ride on the elephants' backs
• Elephants pick fruit for the baboons
• Baboons clean the elephants' ears

Baboons drink at holes dug by elephants, and elephants rely on baboons in the trees for early warning.

4. When do olive baboons give their wa-hoo call?

• When they find ripe fruit
• When it starts to rain
• At night, when predators or neighbouring troops are near (correct)
• Only when greeting a baby

The wa-hoo answers predators or neighbouring groups at night and in stressful moments.

5. Where does the olive baboon search for food?

• Only in the treetops
• Underground, on the ground and in the trees (correct)
• Only in rivers
• Only on farms

It forages at every level, from beneath the ground to the forest canopy.

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