Fred the alpha male of the Smitswinkel troop was eutthanased March 2011.
The Smits juveniles 2009
Force, Fingers (second from right) and the boys.
The street smart corner gang.
Fred like to get a good vantage point.
Fred honed his car raiding habit.
Fred was put down (March 2011) as he’d become aggressive.
Jimmy, a dispersing male from the Waterfall troop. It was hoped he would become the alpha male after Fred. He was put down within months of dispersing.
Force, was one of the first baboons to be fitted with a GPS collar. Photo taken in 2009, when he almost an adult.
Force’s role in the troop was chief scout.
Showing those magnificent cannines.
He was a mellow character.
He showed a great tenderness towards younger troop members.
Force became the alpha male after Fred’s death.
Rude Boy one of the ‘brothers’. Force, Rude Boy and Crowbar were about the same age.
Rude Boy was beginning to disperse, Fred chased him out of the troop.
Rude Boy often came into the Murdock Valley area, and we hoped that he would find the Waterfall troop. He died through natural causes?
Shaka and Fingers were a similar age. Shaka was put down. Here he attends to little brother.
The males spend time playing, scouting out in front of the troop.
Shaka was popular with the young juveniles.
Shaka trying his luck with a set of wheels.
Excellent mode of transport.
Manuel was a magnificent baboon, he was euthanised last week, May 2013.
Merlin was estimated to be 18 / 19 years.
Merlin has picked up a piece of discarded chewing gum.
Merlin looking his age.
Nature on the Edge 
My favorite kind of blog post! Great images. Love the baboon on the motorcycle.
Thank you Kongo. Hope you’ll check back soon, going to post on the Snow monkeys in Japan. Have you been to visit these amazing simians? In summer they make full use of their bathing pool to keep cool; just the opposite to their winter behaviour 🙂