Death foreshadows baboons living on the edges of the urban areas of the Cape Peninsula, particularly the males who have been exposed to easy food options.
This post is in response to WordPress’ Weekly photo challenge; read all about it here.
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Nature on the Edge 
He does look kind of scary.
Thanks for your comment, Suzanne. He still has a way to grow into an adult. They get up to 40 – 45 kgs… can pack strength, muscle, but generally they aren’t a danger to people. Rather the other way round.
Interesting response to the challenge this week.
Feeling bleak about their future 😦 Thanks for stopping by.
Very sad…
Yes… the males draw the short straw; the challenge of dispersing from their natal troop becomes ever more complicated. The wildlife policy is to transfer them (dart and move) to a new location where there are other troops; but there isn’t a high rate of integration and it appears that the surplus males are being euthanised. Skewers the troop hierachies…
So original… nice post… 🙂
Thanks Bams.
You made me remembering a baby monkey who had lost her mother in a zoo and asking for help to my wife and me…The sadness in his eyes. This one looks happy to eat.
Thanks for the comment iceman 🙂 That’s a sad story – they’re sentient creatures; death of a mother leaves a baby very vulnerable. Yes the juvenile in the picture is very happy to have the bread roll; only problem is that it’s the wrong kind of food, and once they get a taste for human food they often land up becoming raiders. Sad….
This is such a sad state of affairs 😦
It is sad – being a protected species doesn’t help them either. Many have argued for their ‘translocation’ off the peninsula to natural areas in the interior but that too is fraught with danger for a species which has become habituated to people.
Sad indeed. But a charming photo nonetheless.
Yes, the youngsters have an appeal … primates … share so many similarities 🙂
Such an innocent little creature..disturbing to know how we humans are a constant threat to almost everything around us.
Too true, Uday – and we’re encroaching more and more … our urbanising planet.
I second Uday’s comment.
Yes .. it’s a great concern.
So true… we may see as a help, but indeed disabling them..
http://sreeniviews.wordpress.com/2013/08/04/weekly-photo-challenge-foreshadow/
Yes, it’s hard to get people to understand the harm they do when feeding the animals..
I can’t think of a more powerful interpretation for that challenge, Liz. And it’s a wonderful picture, besides. I haven’t kept up with blogs for, what, a month – so I hope all is well with you.
Thanks for picking up on this one Sid. Powerful word, “Foreshadow” and that connotation of foreboding… i still hope though that as more people become aware of the plight of the baboons, there will be an improvement in their lot.
Very well this end, thanks, and you’ll notice i’m off exploring aspects of Japan. What a country, and so far a privilege to be here. Hope that for you summer brings a renewal of positive energy?