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King of the Canines


King of the Canines
Photo Information
Copyright: Gerhard Theron (gerhardt) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1976 W: 259 N: 4103] (11585)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-08-21
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Minolta Dimage Z1
Photo Version: Original Version
Travelogue: Emerald Casino Resort Animal Park
Date Submitted: 2004-09-15 4:42
Viewed: 4070
Points: 26
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Baboon vs Leopard

Baboon troops are highly organized. The average baboon troop is structured very tightly at three levels.
Level One: Two to three huge bucks who lead the troop without any sign of competition.
Level Two: Younger bucks who submit to the three troop leaders and help protect the young.
Level Three: Females and babies.
When danger is sensed, such as an approaching leopard, the three big bucks will raise the alarm. At once, the whole troop submits 100%, and the females grab the babies and young and run to the center of the troop. The younger bucks gather around the females and their young and display attack gestures outward. The two or three big buck leaders move around the perimeter of the troop, back and forth, watching for the leopard. The troop will not panic or run away. Now, a smart leopard, though he may consider baboon a delicacy, will not proceed to attack. But, if the leopard advances, the three big bucks, with several younger bucks following, will charge the leopard, and they will tear the leopard to shreds. (LITERALLY!) Baboons are much smaller than leopards, but the effect of baboon rage is stupefying to the leopard. Game hunters have reported finding the scene afterward, and all that was left was mouthful sized pieces of leopard in all directions. The baboons tore the leopard to bits using their powerful mouths. Virtually no other member of the ape family conducts business in this manner.

Baboons will not attack humans in the same manner. If a person strolls past baboons, they will ignore him. If a person chases baboons away from his garden, they will flee. But, if you wound a baboon while trying to shoot them, don't run forward to see what you got. The troop will always flee from gunfire. But, the big buck leaders will almost always come back to carry off their wounded or dead. If you are standing over the dead baboon you shot when those big bucks return, you could very well be treated as a leopard.

The skull on the left is that of a Leopard. Callie shows a nice Leopard here. The skull on the right is that of an African Baboon. I did a post on them here. Strange enough the Leopards consider the Baboons a delicacy. But have a look at the size of the teeth on that Baboon. It’s easy to see why two or more big males can shred a Leopard to bits. Humans tend to forget that Baboons are dangerous wild animals and may easily extend a hand offering a morsel to them. DON’T!
ellis49, japie, Signal-Womb, gbac, Jeppe, RAP, Callie, Nephrotome2 has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To marhowie: Thanx for the wordgerhardt 1 09-15 14:22
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Critiques [Translate]

Very good Gerhard.
The good pictures toghter with the exemplary good note
make this very great.
Well done.

Gerhard, Each morning I've been sharing photos from TN with my wife. Showed her your skulls & I quote - "You mean he's someone like you who keeps dead bodies around the house! ;-) I also have a skull collection from animals domestic & wild from this area. I think learning the anatomy of animals is an important aspect of an interest in nature..Very useful note - Thanx!

  • Great 
  • japie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1814 W: 100 N: 1904] (5187)
  • [2004-09-15 11:28]

The shots of th skulls are great, but your note even more so. Baboons can be great entertainement causing us to forget that it is a successful survivor in a hostile world and extremely dangerous when the need arises. Very powerful image and note combo. Thanks for reminding me.

This is excellent Gerhard. The strength of this post is I think in the footnote which was fascinating reading and the skulls form a good comparison of each animals teeth and jaws. Well done.

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2004-09-15 14:25]

Good pictures and fantastic note. I knew Baboons could be dangerous but I didn't realise they could tear a leopard apart!

Very good work Gerhard.

  • Great 
  • urban Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 71 W: 4 N: 79] (413)
  • [2004-09-15 15:08]

Really good note there and an interesting comparison in the pictures.

Very informative.

  • Great 
  • gbac (76)
  • [2004-09-15 16:31]

Great and very instructive note, now I know that baboon can be very dangerous. I am very surprised to see the comparison between the baboon and the leopard skull.
Well done Gerhard.

  • Great 
  • Jeppe Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 36 W: 0 N: 33] (193)
  • [2004-09-15 17:14]

Thanks for sharing this different and learning shot - not to mention the note - very educational and amazing to watch those cranies - specially the baboon - no handfeeding of those ever ;-)

Thanks Gerhard

Great info of a very good theme, I enjoyed much your note and pictures. Thanks.

  • Great 
  • RAP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2524 W: 345 N: 2373] (7405)
  • [2004-09-15 18:59]

Interesante e inusual comparacion Gerhard.
Excelente composicion por la presentacion, por su nitidez y por tus notas.
Bien hecho.

Interesting and unusual Gerhard comparison.
Excellent composition by the presentation, its clearness and your notes.
Well done.

Very good anotomie lesson.
Echt ik moest toch wel even goed kijken. Maar met je verhaal erbij, vind ik het echt super goed. Erg goed werk Gerhard.

Mooi Gerhard
Size for size. the baboon has the bigest canines in the world! Nice note too. enjoyed it and the baboon skul. Feel a bit sorry for the leopard, though!

Very interesting subject. Thanks for this post. Nevertheless a few remarks:

1 - Please read:
http://www.curtbusse.com/pubs/Busse1980.html
which is quite in contrast with the baboon supremacy that you mention.

2 - A scale would have been welcome on each of the two pics as I guess the leopard skull is bigger than the one of baboons.

3 - The upper right canine of the leopard is broken. It gives the wrong impression that the leopard teeth is smaller. A pic of the left side would have been more appropriate for a fair comparison.

Best regards

JM

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