It was during an early morning safari in the Kruger National Park that we stopped near a waterhole to watch a troop of baboons getting started with their day. There were about forty plus baboons in this troop, and they were scattered all over near and around the waterhole. During the early mornings, before heading out to forage for the day, baboon families usually spend some family time together, interacting with one another in various ways that are fascinating to watch. With over forty baboons in one family, all socializing together in one area, I knew there would be a lot of entertainment in store for us if we just hanged around a little. Being incredibly social, just like human families, baboons will support, protect and comfort each other, and squabble and fight. Anything is possible with so many family members present.
As expected, our time watching this wild family of baboons turned out to be very rewarding and entertaining for all on the safari. There was so much going on with this family. Some baboons were just lazing around, some were grooming each other with great care, big male baboons were up in the trees on the lookout for danger and sounding their alarm calls and then there were the young male baboons that stole the show. Like true schoolboys, a small group of young baboons were busy with a family squabble, causing conflict that looked like a playground scuffle. It looked like between three and four young male baboons that were involved in the conflict. There were a lot of screaming and moaning sounds coming from the young baboons, expressing their anger and frustrations with each other. It was actually hilarious and captivating to watch these baboons displaying such human similarities. Like real young boys locked in a scuffle, the young male baboons were chasing each other around, jumping on each other, pulling, shoving, pinching and biting each other. The whole dispute was pretty intense and lasted for a good few minutes before the scores were settled. The social hierarchy inside a baboon troop is fascinating and very complex. Males are dominant but their levels of ranking through various younger ages is tenuous and often changes through such disputes. After about half an hour, the baboon troop slowly started disappearing into the landscape, on their way to forage for the day. We left with everyone having a long-lasting smile on their face and a unique and special sight we won't forget for a long time.