154 ANIMAL LIFE IN AFRICA 



yards or so behind, but the moment the person faced 

 round he would disappear. 



Another baboon, confined with a Vervet Monkey, made 

 it his business to render the existence of that unhappy 

 creature a burden to it. He would steal its food, pull 

 its tail, jump on it when it was not looking, and eventually 

 so shattered its nerves that the two had to be separated. 

 Although the two animals were, at that time, nearly of 

 a size, the Vervet always seemed to admit the moral 

 superiority of the baboon. 



Although dogs are generally perfectly friendly with, 

 and, in fact, often allow themselves to be bullied by tame 

 baboons which they know, they seem to have a strong 

 antipathy to these animals in a wild state. The most 

 obedient dogs are with difficulty restrained from chasing 

 a troop, often with the most disastrous results to them- 

 selves ; for the rearguard of big male baboons, com- 

 bining against their pursuers, and fending them off with 

 arms and legs, while their huge sharp canines inflict 

 terrible gashes, can hold their own against anything like 

 equal numbers of even quite large dogs. In single combat, 

 a big plucky dog will generally dispose of a full-grown 

 male baboon, provided that he can secure a good hold, 

 and that the enemy's teeth do not reach the jugular, or 

 other vital spot. A baboon, when fighting, always bites 

 and lets go at once, which places him occasionally at a 

 disadvantage. 



I suppose that, in the Sabi, we have lost more good 

 dogs through these animals than by any other kind of 

 natural enemy, except crocodiles and snakes. Years ago, on 

 the Zambezi, I was the owner of a very large boarhound, 

 which killed a great many " old men " baboons ; but he 

 often returned from his encounters a good deal the worse 

 for wear. Ranger Healy had a very fine bull terrier 



