Babies, Babies, Babies

           

 There have been a total of eight small infants, including four births, while I have been here in South Africa studying the chacma baboons of Tokai forest. The baby baboons that tumble around while I do my research on adult males never cease to make me laugh and their hilarity is a perpetual source of entertainment. The small babies could fit easily in your hand and it takes just about all of my self-control to avoid picking one up. What makes it even harder is that they are extraordinarily curious of us humans, as well. The newborn baboons stare at us with wide, inquisitive brown eyes and sometimes topple too far from their mothers to get a better look at the strange hairless creatures who scribble incessantly on clipboards.

Curious Malta

Krill and Jezebel

Infant baboons are born after about a 6-month gestation period. Their natal pelage is soft and fine with black coloration (newborns’ hair stands amusingly on end). This fur is replaced by the grey-blonde adult pelage around 6 months of age, making it easy to distinguish young baboons from the mischievous juveniles. Newborns have a red-pink skin that contrasts brilliantly with their dark fur and the darker skin of their mothers. They have wide brown eyes and massive pink ears that overwhelm the sides of their heads. They also have long, fluffy tails that are more than the length of their bodies that the babies have a tendency to trip over. It is a few weeks before the mother allows her baby to leave her breast and play with the others. After that moment, the little ones seem determined to test their independence more and more. They stand on the heads of the resting adult males, they tug on the hair of other females, they nibble and poke other babies, they jump into puddles, they chew on bark and grass, they wiggle in-between grooming pairs. Baby baboons are so uncoordinated, it is quite common to see them bouncing around on branches and tumbling to the ground or somersaulting along paths.

Baby Blub

Chewbacca, one of the infants who was killed

Tragically, only six of the eight infants are still alive and well. One was killed by infanticide during a fight with the two troops that I study and the other was a stillbirth. Morbidly, both heartbroken mothers carried the corpses of the dead infants for more than a week. This is natural and part of the grieving process for chacma baboons. The remaining infants are fascinating to watch as they transition from vulnerable infants to rambunctious juveniles. All six babies are in the MT1 troop, which means that ¼ of all females in the troop have infants.

Bonaparte

the male Pitt playing with Bonaparte

Bonaparte is the oldest infant at the moment and he is right at the transition point where his fur and face are changing from pink and black to brown and grey. His mother, Bonnie, possesses a high dominance rank and Bonaparte lives a life without a care in the world. He is incredibly adventurous, curious, and playful. The other baboons dare not torment him due to his high-ranking bloodline and Bonaparte has the audacity to jump around on just about everyone, including the dominant male.

Bonaparte 2 months ago when he still had black hair and pink skin

Bonaparte today with his changing pelage

Willow and Whitie

Willow is the second oldest infant and beginning to change in color. She has a blonde eyebrow and is one of the most inquisitive little ones. Her mother, Whitie, is low-ranking, older, and too weary to give Willow the attention she wants. Instead, Willow romps around the troop seeking grooming from other females. She frolics with the other babies often and loves to explore.

Basil (with Blub) grooming Willow

Willow

Malta

Malta with Harrison and Milka

Malta is the daughter of Milka and the favorite baby of the oldest adult male Harrison (see post on “The Boys” below). She is only a few months old and while she enjoys a certain dose of independence, she stays near her mother and Harrison often. Harri will cradle her and she will sit on top of his head while he grunts affectionately. It is a very sweet interaction to behold.

Day-old Jezebel

Jezebel and Joker

Jezebel was one of the infants born during my time here and it has been remarkable to watch her grow from a blind pink ball of fur into a mischievous little toddler. Her mother, Joker, is somewhat callous towards other baboons, although Jezebel is quite spirited. It is pretty hysterical to watch her as she bounces up and down on branches and wiggles her huge ears up and down.

Little Krill

Krill was born just about a month ago and she is exceptionally cute. Her hair is quite thin, making her pink ears look extremely gigantic. Her face is small and round and her odd-hairline gives her a look of permanent anxiety, yet she seems endearing and gentle.

two-day old Blub and Basil

Blub is my favorite infant. He was born just a couple weeks ago and has yet to leave the comfort of his mother’s breast. I was the only researcher out in the field the day after Blub’s birth, so of course I named him after my all-time favorite word. He is incredibly small, less than half the size of Bonaparte. Blub is the firstborn of his mother, Basil, and he came out bright pink and blind. Basil is a sweet mother and she always holds him close and grooms his tenderly, although she seems overwhelmed with the strain of caring for a miniature baboon. Since Blub is the youngest in the troop, the other females are constantly approaching Basil to inspect Blub and sneak a peak at the new baby. I am curious to see how Blub will begin to grow up and when Basil will let him play on his own. 

Pregnant Basil

Baby Blub

Suckling Blub

Willow and Jezebel (baby Krill is hidden on her mother's stomach)

Jezebel pouncing on Krill

Kruger National Park

(Photo credit: SG Davis)

Amidst my eventful days with the baboons, I was able to take a week off with my parents and travel to some of the most spectacular parts of South Africa (see posts of The Garden Route and Addo Elephant Park below). One of the most astounding locations we ventured to is the renowned Kruger National Park, a place I have dreamt about going to for years—especially since Kruger keeps coming up in many of my wildlife classes back at Cal Poly. Kruger lies in the high Northeast of South Africa, on the border of Mozambique and comprises 20,000 square kilometers. It’s a vast landscape complete with dozens of ecozones, thousands of species, and millions of animals. One moment we would be submerged in dense river thickets and the next, montane bushvelds or open savannas would surround us. We spent three magnificent days exploring Kruger, which in reality only gave us enough time to explore the southernmost portion of the enormous park.

Our journey began from Port Elizabeth, where we caught a plane to Johannesburg and rented a car to drive through the reserve. As typical Davis people do, we refused the excessive tourist trips and simply took our own car through the park with merely a couple confusing maps and no guides or tours. Remarkably, we saw it all. Elephants, hippos, buffalo, giraffes, jackals, bush babies, rhinos, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, lions, monkeys, ostriches, ungulates, birds, zebras, mongoose, warthogs… you name it. Our second day there, we saw the big five all in one day (elephant, rhino, buffalo, leopard, and lion). At moments we felt like we would never be able to see above the dense acacia thickets, but the wildlife was prolific and the scenery was stunning. Few places on earth can support such densities of wildlife and boast unparalleled panoramas of mountains, hills, valleys, and open plains. 

elephants dusting themselves with red African dirt

We spent two nights within the park’s boundaries, staying in small bungalows within designated camp areas—one of which was positioned above the Sabie river where wildlife like crocodiles, elephants, kudu, and guinea fowl roamed the banks and hippos bellowed throughout the night. We explored in our miniature vehicle almost the entire day from sunrise to sunset, snacking on pepper and salt chips and Endearmints. We visited watering holes where hippos wallowed and herds of rhino feasted on grass. We saw an infant rhino trampling the dry grass beside its mother’s feet. We watched a herd of elephants submerge themselves completely underwater and swim across the river with only their trunks visible. We witnessed a cheetah walk within feet of our car along the road. Welcome to Africa. 

(photo credit: SG Davis)

Kudu! (photo credit: SG Davis)

Try to spot the leopard here

The Boys

(Photo credit: Shirley Giles Davis)

 Currently, I study 10 male baboons. I devote about 10 hours a day, 6 days a week in the field with them and spend every moment tracking them and recording their behaviors. This involves scrabbling up rocks, climbing over and under barbed wire fences, splashing through rivers, cutting through spider webs, ducking under thorny acacia trees, tumbling down densely foliated ravines, and running down roads to follow them if they decide to be naughty and raid human food resources. My time with these 10 boys has made me become completely engrossed in their lives. I can’t help it. They are absolutely fascinating and although I am an objective researcher, it’s impossible not to get attached to them to some extent. Eight of these males are part of the MT1 baboon troop, the primary focus group of my research. These eight males are the ones I know the very best. I can recognize all their faces from a distance and the way they each walk (baboon males have distinctive swagger, let me tell you). The remaining two males are members of the smaller JT troop, which I spent only about 1 day a week with. Regardless, this research has been a captivating and enlightening window into the world of primatology and I’ve loved every moment with my boys. Below, I describe the individual personalities of each male so you can get a picture of who I spend all day every day with in South Africa. Due to management reasons, I have changed certain names and omitted various details about each baboon for their own protection.

*Disclaimer: for those who are scientists, these character descriptions are purely for entertainment reasons and do not have any interplay into my research*

The MT1 Males

Harrison

Harrison being groomed by Milka and playing with baby Malta

Harrison- This male is one of my very favorite baboons of all. He is the oldest baboon male in both troops, and was formerly alpha male before his age got the best of him. However, he retains a high dominance status and still appears to be the largest baboon of the population we study, with a think mat of hair along his shoulders and upper back. He is the gentlest baboon I’ve ever met. If another male attacks a female in the troop, he immediately comes to her rescue and chases the aggressive male away. He breaks up fights and disputes regardless of who is involved. He helps keep the peace within the troop and is always lip-smacking and grunting at other baboons (all affiliative behaviors). Harrison has also been seen grooming females more often than other males (typically, the other guys just lay down and let the girls do all the grooming without reciprocation). He’s quite the gentleman. We generally find him at the back of the troop with all the cavorting juveniles (almost like he is the babysitter). Conducting focal follows on him are relatively simple because he likes to lie in a blob in the sun most of the time. Harri has his favorite females, which you almost always find him with. In particular, he likes to hang out around the females with small infants. He lets the babies play around him and sometimes they climb on top of him and tumble across him. He likes to chatter to the babies, too. No other male I’ve watched tolerates this behavior. He has a particular affection for a female named Rose Marie, who so happens to be the oldest female in the troop. The two are like a cute old couple who have been together for years. Harrison has never approached or attacked a human, and is considerably accepting of our presence around him.

Harri

Julius

Julius- Julius is the dominant male of the MT1 troop and an impressive specimen. When I first began research in Tokai, he used to intimidate me with his purposeful gait and bulk of grey-blonde hair. I know now that Jules is quite harmless, although the hikers and bikers that frequent the forest are always significantly afraid of him. People tend to cringe when he walks past, for he emanates an aura of dominance. He has become so accustomed to our presence that he no longer looks at us at all, as if we were simply part of the environment (which is exactly how it is supposed to be). He is a good leader for the troop and can always be found in the center or near the front of the baboons. In part, he dictates the troop’s daily movements and, if you can find Julius, you can find everyone else. Like a king, he enjoys to sit high above his subjects on logs, rocks, or branches and survey his domain. Julius, like Harrison, has his core group of favorite females that are constantly with him. Bonnie, Karl Doll, Zebra, and ErinAnn are perpetually by his side. Bonnie’s infant, Bonaparte, is the only infant Julius tolerates, presumably because Bonaparte is Julius’ offspring. Julius is always aware of everything happening within the troop and he is quite cunning.

David

David- David is probably my second favorite baboon behind Harrison. He is intriguing, intelligent, and mysterious. After Julius and Harri, he is the third largest male I study. Previous researchers have told me that if he had not been injured during the fight for alpha male with Julius, he would have won. Not surprising, for David is imposing in build and striking in stature. Not to mention he is high in the dominance hierarchy. Lately, David appears to be challenging Julius’ status by acts of display and herding of females. If Julius’ power ever falters, David would be the one who would usurp his throne. David can be the hardest male to find because he roams the peripheries of the troop with his harem of females: Ring, Filia, Tulip, Dax, and Persepolis. His favorite girl is Filia, who happens to be pregnant presumably with his child. He spends a lot of time by himself and we wonder if he is trying to find his place in the troop.

David (photo credit: Shirley Giles Davis)

Saturday eating a Pinus radiata cone

Saturday- Saturday, unlike the other males, doesn’t have a distinctive personality. He ranks slightly above middle in the dominance hierarchy and appears to steer clear of most dominance interfaces. He has a large rostrum and smooth fur with a tail that flicks characteristically at the tip. He is the type of guy who just takes what he wants and suffers few repercussions. His role within the troop dynamics remains to be determined.

Draco chasing a juvenile (photo credit: Shirley Giles Davis)

Draco- Draco is almost the size of Saturday with thick blonde hair and wide-set shoulders. To put it simply, Draco is a rascal. He is aggressive, forceful, and erratic. He ranks in the lower half of the male hierarchy within his troop and therefore he appears to be in the process of establishing himself through occasional belligerence. If you suddenly hear a juvenile running and screaming, chances are that Draco is pursuing him with unwarranted cause. He still reverts to a playful, immature nature every so often, which serves as proof that he is still growing up. He also has the tendency to approach and confront people with little fear. He will boldly march right up to hikers, cars, and bikers in his eternal quest for food. Draco reminds me of a teenage boy.

Draco

Jason and me (photo credit: Shirley Giles Davis)

Jason- Jason was the very first baboon I ever met. He was the first one I drew sketches of and the first individual I could identify. He is a low-ranking male and spends almost his entire day foraging and eating. In terms of baboon daily life, Jason seems to regrettably have little charm with the ladies. It is rare to witness him with a female. Instead, he is regularly chased by higher-ranking males for no good reason. His behavior at times can be quite reckless and we worry that he will get himself into trouble.

Handsome Pitt

Pitt- Pitt was named after the actor Brad Pitt simply based upon his appearance. He is tall with long, slender limbs and a trim, active body with bright blonde hair. If I was a baboon, Pitt would by far be the most attractive male (no shame in saying that). He is quite handsome. Pitt is one of the youngest boys I study, yet he already appears to be rising in dominance. We suspect this is because he is part of Bonnie’s matriline, one of the most dominant matrilines of the entire troop (natal baboon male dominance is partly based upon kin). Maybe one day he will be alpha male when he gets older. Pitt has a calm and charming demeanor. He is playful, active, and charismatic without arrogance. As my fellow researcher Ilana says, he is like a hot young soccer player. My follows of Pitt are always a workout and they usually end up with me tangled in a remote thicket of vegetation. Despite this, he is one of my favorite males.

Demon

Demon- This is a male that I named. And aptly so, for Demon can be devilish. We only began to study him a few weeks ago when we first witnessed him consorting with a female. Demon is the youngest and lowest ranking male in MT1. This unfortunately does not mean that he has a low level of aggression. On the contrary, Demon is shrewd and assertive. He slinks around the core of the troop with a malevolent look in his eye, always searching for trouble to get into. Demon is covered in unkempt hair with a particularly hairy neck and head. His fur is a dark grey that only enhances his devious personality. Oh, and he is the most bold male of all with humans. He will come right up to you and grab for you if you aren’t careful. My hope is that he will grow out his teenager-like, prankster phase.

The JT Males

Chaos- Chaos was born in the MT1 troop and dispersed when he came of age into JT. As a result of the euthanization of prior males, he is now the alpha male of his troop. For an alpha, he is quite small. Chaos is a gentle male with a calm demeanor. Yet, he appears bored with his day-to-day life with only 7 females to take care of. His troop is less than half the size of MT1, which makes the baboon drama monotonous. It is almost as if he is just going through the motions with little inspiration. At times, Chaos is just plain lazy.

Chris- Chris is the youngest male in both troops that I study. Unlike wily Demon, who is similar in age, Chris is ridiculously energetic and spirited. He will play for hours with the juveniles of the troop with much exuberance. Since there are only two males in his group, he still gets a chance with the girls from time to time. He is also fiercely loyal to the females of the troop and provides strong protection when Chaos is oblivious to any danger. Chris has the potential to grow up and become a dominant leader.