Mammals
Olive Baboon
Papio anubis · also called anubis baboon
Moving through a mix of open savanna and forest edge, a troop of olive baboons forages opportunistically across some of the most varied terrain used by any baboon species, a versatility that has made this the most widely distributed baboon in Africa.
Overview
The olive baboon, Papio anubis, is a highly adaptable, socially complex primate native to savanna and grassland habitat across a broad range spanning equatorial and eastern Africa. Its unmatched geographic distribution among baboon species, tolerance for a wide variety of habitats, and complex troop-based social structure make it one of the most ecologically successful primates found anywhere on the African continent.
Africa’s most adaptable baboon
Where other baboon species remain tied to more specific habitat types, the olive baboon thrives across an unusually broad range of conditions, from open savanna to forest edge to semi-desert, a flexibility that underlies its status as the most widespread baboon species alive.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread and abundant across suitable savanna and grassland habitat throughout equatorial and eastern Africa.
Olive Baboon: common questions
Why is the olive baboon considered the most widespread baboon species?
This species has the broadest geographic distribution of any baboon species, found across a huge range spanning much of equatorial and eastern Africa, a level of adaptability that lets it thrive across savanna, woodland, forest edge, and semi-arid habitat alike.
Why is the olive baboon called that?
This species has a grizzled greyish-brown coat with a subtle olive-green tinge, a colouring visible mainly in good light that gives the species its common name and distinguishes it from other baboon species with different coat colours.
How social is the olive baboon?
This species lives in large troops built around related females, with a clear dominance hierarchy and complex social relationships involving grooming, alliances, and rank, a social structure typical of the wider baboon genus.
Why does the olive baboon sometimes come into conflict with people?
This species is an opportunistic forager willing to raid crops and scavenge near human settlement, behaviour driven by its adaptable, omnivorous diet that can bring it into frequent conflict with farming communities across parts of its range.