Monday, May 13, 2013

    Chacma Baboons

    At Cape Point there stands a little statue of a mother chacma Baboon with a baby riding on her back.  Chacma Baboons (Papio ursinus) are intimately associated with the Cape Peninsula and the Cape of Good Hope.  Baboons inside the Cape Point section of the Table Mountain National Parkpark has become somewhat of a tourist attraction.  Round about six troops either live entirely within the Cape Point section or use the section as part of their range.  The baboons in this area has evolved slightly different from their cousins elsewhere because they have longer hair due to the harsh nature of the  weather around there.  The baboons in the park is also the only primates other than humans that live off seafood.  Due to the fact that there are less food available to them in the park they go down to the coastline during low tide and search for food in the rock pools.  Unfortunately baboons in the park has also become cheeky, associating people with food and will often try to get into cars to get to visitors' bags in search of food. 

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