Olive baboon
Scientific name: Papio anubis
- How weight is recorded: Whole weight
Field notes
Appearance
Robust primates with olive-green to grey coats and powerful jaws. Males are substantially larger and more heavily built than females, with a pronounced neck mane and prominent facial features.
Size and weight
Adult males weigh 24–34 kg and measure 62–82 cm body length; females weigh 12–20 kg and measure 50–65 cm.
Habitat
Olive baboons inhabit open savannah, woodland edges, and rocky hills, typically between 500–2700 m elevation. They require proximity to water and benefit from tree or cliff refugia.
Distribution
Widespread across sub-Saharan Africa from West Africa to the Red Sea and East Africa, typically in low to moderate elevations.
Diet
They feed on grass, buds, fruits, insects, and small animals; diet shifts seasonally based on available resources.
Behaviour
Diurnal and highly social, living in stable troops of 8–80 individuals with strict dominance hierarchies. They traverse large daily ranges, predominantly terrestrial, with a characteristic quadrupedal gait.
Hunting tips
Look for tracks at waterholes and characteristically large droppings along established trails. Approach slowly and upwind; use terrain to mask movement. The troop is perpetually alert—success favors targeting isolated individuals or traversing areas during dawn or dusk transitions.
Whole weight
This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.
Where it is hunted
Listed as huntable in 7 countries in Huntify.
Names in other languages
Current language: en
These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.