Sunbleached tresses, all windblown and tousled. The Cape Peninsula Chacma baboons have a touch of the ‘beachcomber’ in their looks. They’re rather unique in that they include shellfish and marine invertebrates in their diet and it’s quite a treat to observe them foraging in rock pools.
In contrast here is a shot of a male baboon from the arid regions of Namibia; it’s a wonder that baboons can survive in such extreme environments with little available water and soaring temperatures. Recently I came across an article on their behavioural adaptations and the ability to thermoregulate the body core. Temperature fluctuations occur when drinking water and sand bathing and could alter as much as 5.3*C.
The Baboon species is the most adaptable of the non-human primates inhabiting a range of habitats from coastal, savannah, forest and desert ……. and some might even say that they’re pretty adept at living on the urban edge.
Nature on the Edge 
Amazingly adaptable creatures!
What a lovely fur-blown image!
I love our Cape Town baboons with their magnificent long hair!
They are remarkable survivors aren’t they?
Clever animals. Camping once at Kariba, we watched a troop set up a very deliberate distraction so that a couple of them could nip in and steal food. Right under our neighbours’ noses.
Clever! I marvel at how they outwit humans!
Resourceful creatures aren’t they? I bet they complain far less than we do about the shortcomings of their habitat – they just get on with the job of making the most of it!
So true, they have an amazing knack of adapting to the environment and surviving.