Papio – Baboons

Admired for their intelligence in Egyptian mythology, these animals were considered guardians of the dead

Baboons, a powerful and robust species of old-world monkeys, are what members of this genus are most frequently referred to as.

Baboons have a diurnal lifestyle, up throughout the day and dozing off at night. Despite being primarily terrestrial, they like to sleep in trees or on cliffs. Additionally, these monkeys have a sophisticated multi-level social structure dominated by a single male baboon and include several females.

Members of the group participate in shared activities, including sleeping, traveling, and foraging, creating big units with several hundred members.

Baboons are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant- and animal-derived foods. Examples include fruits, tree gums, acacia seeds, acacia blossoms, grass, rhizomes, corms, roots, and tubers, as well as tiny vertebrates, insects, and eggs.