Hungry Monkey | National Geographic

there’s a clever brain behind these eyes
they scan a south african suburb and
hatch a plan for invasion
it’s a troop of baboons they strike as a
mob
marching boldly into neighborhoods
scaling walls and seeking out open
windows and unlocked doors a single
baboon can ransack a house in minutes
grabbing as much food as it can carry
and consume on the spot getting between
them and something they want can be a
dangerous decision baboons are adaptable
smart and sometimes aggressive these
traits have enabled the five different
species of baboon to spread far and wide
on the African continent they range from
Senegal East to Somalia and south to the
tip of South Africa
as human development has expanded we’ve
moved into their territory our food
provides an overwhelming temptation
sometimes staying out of their way isn’t
possible some baboons have learned not
to fear humans a likely side-effect of
people feeding them outright
baboons are omnivorous willing and able
to eat just about anything from seeds
to shellfish this opportunism is an
evolutionary advantage but it can also
lead to trouble whenever humans are near
these quick learning primates know where
to find our food and how to get it
they’ll rate crop fields homes and park
cars
the scuffle and confusion can have dire
consequences
male baboons are equipped with four
canine teeth up to two inches long they
can reach 90 pounds and they know how to
work as a team using chaos to obtain
their goals this cooperation
adaptability and intelligence make for a
cunning and persistent foe and an urban
problem without an easy solution
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