Impalas and Baboons
I’ve always been fascinated with the associations between species. One of the benefits of traveling through game reserves or parks is that you have the opportunity to observe these interactions and behavior. Baboons live in large ”troops” of around 30 or 40 individuals, but this group can be much larger. With so many eyes on the lookout for predators, such as leopards, there is a great benefit for other species like impalas to associate with them. The baboon has an extremely effective alarm system.
However, this relationship does come at a cost for the impala. Their newborn fawns often become the prey of large male baboons. Nevertheless, the impala is one of the most numerous and widespread antelope species in southern Africa.
