One of the more prolific animals in South Africa is the Baboon (Papio). I saw Baboons in almost every location that I visited. Warning signs were posted in most highways and parks warning people of how dangerous Baboons are and to not feed them. They are very aggressive and protective animals. We spotted a group of baboons while visiting Table Mountain National Park located just south of Cape Town. The Baboon pack was hanging around a Tidal Pool area. The tidal pool experience was a bust but the Baboon sighting was great, especially the baby baboon. It was probably only a few days old since it was having a hard time balancing. There were actually two baby baboons with their mothers. The motherly love, protection and interaction was very human-like and great to observe.
One thing I did not realize until I did some research is that the collective noun for baboons is “troop”. Baboon are foragers and are active at irregular times throughout the day and night. They can raid human dwellings, and in South Africa, they have been known to prey on sheep and goats. I witnessed them spending a huge amount of time digging up grass and plucking insects found below ground. They tend to make a mess of things…
This image was taken with my Canon EOS 5DS using my Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 II Lens set on 400mm. The camera was set on Manual Mode mode with the aperture set at f/11, shutter speed at 1/125th of a second and the ISO set at 640. This was a single image processed in Lightroom and Nik Color Efex Pro.
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© 2016 T. Kahler Photography
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She looks a bit like us doesn’t she? I have vicariously enjoyed your trip so much. Thanks for sharing.
Nice image. I enjoy reading your posts each day and learn a lot; many thanks. BTW, a collective noun is called a venery and a troop is a collective noun for monkeys as well as foxes. I have had some fun over the years learning all the venery for a variety of animals.
Nice shot. Great subject. Very cute and compelling at the same time.