THE CAPE BABOON OR BAVIAN 



hills, or in rocky bush-covered localities, they can 

 outdistance any dog. 



I was with a party of Dutch friends in Natal who 

 were on their way to a distant kloof where a leopard 

 had been located. On turning the corner of a hill 

 several long-drawn-out, hoarse barks rang out from 

 a baboon perched on a pinnacle of rock. In response 

 to the warning cries, a troop of baboons which had 

 been busily engaged digging up bulbs on the veld, 

 made with the greatest haste for an adjacent stony 

 hill. The dogs of our party gave chase, and we fol- 

 lowed as fast as the uneven nature of the ground 

 would permit a horse to travel. The baboons 

 reached the foot of the hill safely, and scattered 

 among the boulders. Three of the dogs foolishly 

 followed, and when almost out of breath with the 

 unusual exertion of running uphill amongst a mass 

 of boulders and loose stones, they were set upon by 

 the leaders of the baboon troop. On our arrival 

 some little time later one dog was found to be dis- 

 embowelled, another's thigh was torn to shreds, 

 and a third had a horrible wound on his shoulder. 



On another occasion in a similar situation on 

 a stony hillside we arrived just in time to save a 

 small pack of Kafir dogs from death. The baboons 

 were retreating up the hill, followed by the dogs. 

 They were evidently luring the dogs on. Suddenly 

 about half of the troop of baboons turned and en- 

 deavoured to surround the dogs. The baboons 

 which continued to retreat were the females with 



SI 



