THE CAPE BABOON OR BAVIAN 



seizes a female, or a young one, and at once makes 

 off with it into the undergrowth. Should a troop 

 of baboons be fortunate enough to find a retreat in 

 the face of a krantz, they are safe from their dreaded 

 enemy during the hours of darkness ; but if they 

 are compelled to sleep in trees or in rocky or other 

 situations to which the leopard can climb, then a 

 heavy toll is levied on the troop. The baboon, 

 like ourselves, cannot see well at night, and, when 

 attacked at these times, becomes nervous and excited. 

 When a leopard establishes himself near the retreat 

 of a troop of baboons, the latter retire to some dis- 

 tant situation, if such is obtainable, they knowing 

 that otherwise an almost daily toll will be levied 

 upon them, until the entire troop is annihilated. 



A leopard will rarely attempt to attack one of 

 the leaders of a troop of baboons, knowing that these 

 shaggy old fellows have great strength and formidable 

 fangs. Should a leopard seize a young baboon dur- 

 ing the daytime, he must be quick in seeking cover 

 amidst the tangled thorny scrub, otherwise he will 

 have the enraged troop upon him, and then his time 

 is short, for the males rush at him in a body and 

 tear him to ribbons. 



A friend was endeavouring to stalk a troop of 

 baboons which were basking in the sun on some 

 boulders on a stony hillside sparsely covered with 

 stunted scrubby bush. He, however, was not the 

 only stalker. He was in the act of peering through 

 a bush when an agonising succession of shrieks and 



59 



