Primates in Tanzania

Baboons
Common Name: Yellow Baboon Species: Papio cynocephalus cynocephalus Lifespan: 20-30 years
	I caught this guy scratching himself in South Luangwa National Park. I think he's a yellow baboon, going by the lighter color. They can be difficult to tell apart.

These fellows were hanging out near the Mfuwe Lodge in the park. The lodge has a wonderful deck from which you can closely, but safely, watch the wildlife below. I like the little one here peeking out from under his mother's stomach.


	These guys were part of a very large group- some 50 or more baboons wandering around on the ground (and up short trees) while we were on our open-vehicle safari in South Luangwa National Park. The two baby ones are exceptionally cute- the bottom one is a younger infant that the upper left.

More of the same group of baboons that were crossing the road. There were a lot of youngsters with them- and more cuddling with mom or riding on her back.

Monkeys
Common Name: Vervet Monkey Species: Cercopithecus aethiops Size: 18-26 inches (40-65cm)
	Vervet Monkeys are very common in Zambia, as they are all over central and east Africa. They were all over Wildlife Camp, where we stayed near South Luangwa National Park for about half our Zambia trip. They played a lot (and fought) around the grounds, occasionally slipping into the restaurant to steal a piece of bread (and being careful to replace the napkin back over the basket of bread, just like the people they were mimicking).

This vervet monkey was also on the grounds at Wildlife Camp. You can tell this one is a female by the teats that are plainly visible in this photograph.

Switching locations to Southern Zambia, we are now in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, or Victoria Falls. These vervets were on the walking path, and let us walk right past them.

The female on the bottom seemed quite happy to have the ticks and ants picked off of her. The one that is squatting is the same one as above that is being groomed.

Here's a close-up of the "groomee" as we walked around them. They were photographed on the perimeter walk on the Zambian side of the falls. It's the uppermost walkway that takes you right up to the Zimbabwe border, but within the confines of the park- so you can't actually cross the border from this path.

Here's a final shot of the pair with a close-up of the "groomer", probably a male. It was very intently studying it's mate picking off many of the pests.