Wildlife
Hamadryas baboons roam the semi-deserts of northeast Africa and the Arabian peninsula, but never stray far from watering holes or the cliffs where they sleep. Hamadryas baboon society is intriguing: it is highly organised into groups with a male leader who herds and controls up to 10 females and their young. These one male units come together to form clans, multiple clans form a band, and an aggregation of bands forms a troop - there really is safety in numbers. The ancient Egyptians considered hamadryas baboons to be sacred, however, they are now extinct in Egypt.
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Cute baby baboons playing
playing prepares young baboons for fighting when they are older.
Cute baby baboons playing - this prepares them for fighting when they are older.
Baboon language
Mat Pines interprets baboon language.
Mat Pines interprets baboon language.
Baboons groom a man
Baboons groom each other and Mat Pines.
Baboons groom each other and even Mat Pines & Teklu. Both have a great relationship with these animals which enables them to share this bonding experience.
Baboons in the rain
Baboons hang out in the rain.
Baboons huddle together in the rain - they don't enjoy it.
Battle of the bands
Two bands of baboons battle over territory.
Two bands of baboons battle over territory and females.
The following habitats are found across the Hamadryas baboon distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Least Concern
Population trend: Increasing
Year assessed: 2008
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas) is a species of baboon from the Old World monkey family. It is the northernmost of all the baboons, being native to the Horn of Africa and the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. These regions provide habitats with the advantage for this species of fewer natural predators than central or southern Africa where other baboons reside. The hamadryas baboon was a sacred animal to the ancient Egyptians and appears in various roles in ancient Egyptian religion, hence its alternative name of 'sacred baboon'.
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Helpless young
Learning
Colonial
Hierarchical
Polygynous
Social
Sexual dimorphism
Territorial
Viviparous
Seed dispersal