THE DOG-FACED OR ROCK BABOON 

 Papio hamadryas, Linn. 



Somali name, Diyar 



Description. — This hideous beast is of a uniform grey colour 

 when fully grown, but when young is brown. The females 

 retain this brown colour till much later in life than the males. 

 The latter in adult life and old age develop a heavy mane, which 

 assists them in looking more formidable when they adopt a 

 threatening attitude. The hairs of the cheeks and parts of the 

 mane as age advances get silver-grey in colour. 



Measurements of an old male in the flesh were : 



Distribution. — Found throughout Northern Somaliland in 

 suitable localities. 



Habits. — The rock baboon is always found in troops of fifty 

 to one hundred or more individuals. As the name signifies, they 

 are always in the neighbourhood of cliffs and rocky ridges, where 

 they can rest at night safe from the larger Carnivorae. On the 

 approach of danger the females gather up their young and move 

 along at a rare pace. The males usually lag behind, frequently 

 turning round and standing in a menacing attitude, giving vent 

 the while to grunts and deep-throated sounds. They have been 

 said to attack human beings ; but I have always found them only 

 too anxious to make good their escape. They are greatly preyed 

 upon by leopards ; but beyond making the most hideous screams 

 they do not make any attempt at rescuing one of their number 

 if one unluckily gets caught. They live entirely on wild fruits 

 and roots, and usually come down to drink about midday. 



