IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Cowlishaw, G. | |
| Vulnerability to predation in baboon populations | |
| 1994 Behaviour (131): 293-304 | |
Investigates patterns of predation in _Papio_ populations across Africa. The primary predators of baboons are the terrestrial carnivores; in order of importance leopards _Panthera pardus_, lions _Panthera leo_ and hyaena. In terms of prey selection, leopards are more likely to take 1) adults than juveniles and 2) males than females. While lion attacks are strictly diurnal, leopards will attack during both the day and night. However, both predators are usually limited to conducting attacks when and/or where visibility is limited. Leopards are about twice as successful as lions at hunting baboons. Nocturnal leopard hunts were more successful than diurnal hunts when twilight cases were excluded. Leopard attacks at sleeping sites were more likely to end in prey capture than attacks at waterholes. Male baboons are more likely to retaliate than females, and such behaviour effectively deters predators. Males are particularly aggressive towards leopards, where in 4/11 cases the leopard was killed. These results may help to resolve a number of outstanding controversies regarding the nature of predation risk in baboons, indicating that diurnal predation is a substantial threat, that males are effective at deterring several predator species, particularly leopards, and that predators will successfully attack and capture males. |
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