Abstract:
Data on the ecology and social behaviour of the baboon wore collected during a study which was undertaken to develop a census method for the baboon. A baboon troop consists of several individuals of different age and sex classes. For population density studies the number of troops in the area 8s well as the number of baboons per troop must be determined. Factors responsible for variations in troop size must also be studied. The following ecological aspects are of importance as far as the development of a census method is concerned i) Size of the home range. ii) Distances that troops travel during the day. iii) Utilization of the home range in relation to time and space. A baboon troop utilizes only part of its home range during the day. The home ranges of neighboring troops overlap and every troop utilizes specific sleeping places which it also shares with other troops. The size of the home range and the utilization of sleeping places do not depend solely on ecological factors such as availability of food and water but intratroop relations also affect the ecology of the animal. Therefore it is essential to study the social behaviour of the individuals in a troop as well as the relationships between adjacent troops in order to understand some of the ecological concepts such as the size of the home range. Baboon troops compete for the use of some sleeping and drinking places and feeding grounds. A troop cannot follow any direction when it leaves the sleeping place in the early morning. Neither can the troop enter any sleeping place of its choice in the evening when it returns from the feeding ground. These choices are subject to the interactions between neighbouring troops. Certain individuals in the troop must be responsible for the decisions made in connection with troop progression, choice of sleeping and drinking places. Males co-operate in as far as these decisions are concerned. It is essential to determine the population density of an animal with economic values such as the baboon. It is a well-known fact that baboons are marauding animals and that farmers often suffer severe crop damage from baboon raids in certain areas. However, in recent years baboons have become more and more important as experimental animals in medical research. Knowledge derived from research on baboons contributes to the science of man's origin and survival.
