Watch A Sneaky Crocodile Launch An Attack On An Unsuspecting Baboon

Key Points

• There is one troop of Baboons in the Kuiseb Canyon in the Namib Desert that has adapted to obtain a lot of water from plants.
• Their numbers are not under threat, but they have a long list of potential predators, like the Nile crocodile.
• The primate assumed that it was far enough from the water to escape a crocodile attack.

A fatal error of judgment brought the life of this poor baboon to an abrupt end. The primate assumed that it was far enough from the water to escape a crocodile attack. As the video at the bottom of this page shows, that was not actually the case!

Chacma Baboons In Namibia

This footage was apparently recorded in Namibia and so this is likely to be a Chacma baboon. This species of baboon has the scientific name Papio ursinus. Their habitats are wide-ranging and include all types of woodland, as well as savanna, steppes and sub-desert. They can live at high elevations. At night they retreat to cliffs, hills and trees. However, they need to drink every day and therefore cannot stray too far from water. This is where they come into contact with crocodiles! Having said that, there is one troop in the Kuiseb Canyon in the Namib Desert that has adapted to obtain a lot of water from plants.

When it comes to diet, they would be described as opportunistic omnivores and like to nibble on bulbs, shoots, seeds and fruit but will also eat invertebrates and even vertebrates if they are available. Chacma baboons have been spotted taking small antelopes and impalas. Local farmers are not best pleased when they raid crops (such as tomatoes and citrus fruit). Some also take smaller stock such as lambs. Predation on smaller monkeys has also been recorded.  

What Are The Threats To Chacma Baboons?

These baboons live in groups called troops which usually contain between 20 and 50 individuals but can be as large as 130 baboons. Within larger troops, the social structure can have multiple male hierarchies but smaller troops may have just one dominant male.  

These baboons are not just found in Namibia, they are also a native species of Angola, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Their numbers are not under threat, but they have a long list of potential predators! As we see here, the Nile crocodile is one of them and that reptile would launch its attack from in or near water. Another reptile predator is the central African rock python. Leopards, lions, spotted hyenas and feral dogs also hunt them as do jackals, some species of eagles and humans (through shooting, trapping and poisoning). Sadly, those that live near roads also risk getting killed by traffic!

Check Out This Footage Below!