Baboon Punches Rival Directly in the Jaw Before Turning Tail and Running Off

You certainly don’t want to be caught in the middle of a baboon fight. They can get brutal. But the people filming in the video at the bottom of the page respond as if it’s just another regular day of the week!

Baboon Behavior Overview

Highly social, baboons have a rather complex hierarchy. They live together in groups called troops and may sometimes only contain a few members but may grow big enough to encompass several hundred! There are both dominant members within each troop as well as those that rank lower in the hierarchical structure. They establish dominance violently, with the strongest baboon emerging as a dominant figure within the troop. They communicate in various ways, not just with physical interactions but vocally as well.

Why Do Baboons Fight With One Another?

Considering their complex social hierarchy, baboons vying for a top spot engage in physical confrontations to push weaker members into lower-ranking positions. Dominant baboons in a troop get certain perks like access to food sources and mates. This makes the fights worth it as they move up the social ladder. Fights also break out for other reasons. When a baboon is looking to assert its territory, it does not shy away from a physical confrontation. If they need to protect the troop from predators, they work together to attack, leaning on their strength as a troop.

Baboon Punches Rival

When the video below starts, it’s an odd scene. There are several baboons in a park-like setting, two of them sitting on a large square-shaped rock in the center. In the background, there are several people looking on with delight and excitement. They are of different ages, including a tiny tyke in a stroller. The two baboons on the large rock are exchanging vocalizations. Several other troop members, also of varying ages, walk around on the grass. Each of them has their attention turned toward the screeching baboons on the rock.

The loudest baboon notices that the other reaches toward it. Within half a second, it responds with a quick punch. The other baboon is already at the edge of the rock as it tries to dodge the hit and quickly jumps off. Like characters in a video game, the baboon who jumped off immediately jumps back on as the other makes a run for it. It runs away from the scene followed by another baboon. The people present seem relaxed and intrigued as they watch the baboons that surround them, commenting on their behavior.

Watch the Footage Below!

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/RudiHulshof