Baboons turn into unlikely predators

By Joe Kiarie

They have been attacking livestock in broad daylight, ripping them to pieces and ravenously feasting on them as owners watch helplessly.

In the past two months, more than 10 people have been attacked and severely injured as these animals fight for survival.

The new ‘hunters’ are baboons that are now giving Kenyans sleepless nights as they search for food.

The most affected are Kamaguru residents in Bura District. In the past two weeks, the baboons have invaded homes and killed about 180 goats and sheep.

Baboons at the Nakuru National Park are a big tourist attraction. Photo: Jacob Otieno/Standard

Children can no longer play outside for fear of famished primates.

Game experts say baboons can easily attack, kill and feed on children. They say the baboon attacks could intensify if the current drought persists.

Mr Iregi Mwenja of Institute for Primate Research says the danger is real.

Opportunistic animals

"Baboons are very opportunistic and in the worst of cases, they can easily attack human beings especially girls and women. They usually fear men but now that they need food, you cannot rule out anything," he warns.

Iregi explains that the primates’ attack of livestock and threat to human beings is due to a nutritional necessity.

"They usually prey on young impalas and gazelles as part of their diet, but they have now migrated or died due to drought. They have to look for an option," he says.

Iregi says the primates adjust quickly to environmental changes. Last year, a seven-year-old boy escaped death when baboons pounced on him near Kitengela town.

The baboons tried to rip the helpless boy apart but quarry workers who heard his desperate screams rescued him.

Cases of aggressive baboons are not restricted to Kenya. Saudi Arabia has reported a significant rise in attacks in open country areas.

Recently, a two-year-old child was killed after a baboon snatched her out of her father’s arms. Her body was found wedged between rocks in a mountainous area.

In February 2006, a four-year-old boy’s stomach was ripped open by a baboon at the Kogel Bay beach resort in Cape Town, South Africa.

In Africa, baboons have been mainly targeting children because they are easy to grab.

Rising attacks

Cases have been recorded of baboons lifting and throwing children into the air. Primate experts say this is not mere play, but a clever way to injure and weaken the victim.

Baboons are opportunistic eaters and, fond of crops, become destructive pests to many African farmers.

They eat fruits, grasses, seeds, bark, and roots, but also have a taste for meat. They eat birds, rodents, and even the young of larger mammals, such as antelopes and sheep.

But these foods are no longer available, leaving them with few options. In their raids, the primates attack in big numbers for reinforcement.