Question 1

Are baboons dangerous to people?

Claire · Accepted Answer

A large male baboon, with its impressive canines certainly looks fearsome, and will commonly elicit remarks like ‘They are vicious’, ‘They can tear you to shreds’ and ‘Imagine the damage those teeth can do’. But the fact is that baboons are not predators, and are generally not aggressive towards humans unless food is involved, or the troop is under threat. Many wild animals are dangerous if provoked. The truth is that baboons are largely indifferent to humans.

In the Western Cape, there are no records of a baboon ever killing a human being. There are no comprehensive statistics recording the number of injuries baboons have inflicted on people, but incidents are rare, and often not the result of a direct ‘attack’. Most injuries are food-related, and happen when baboons push past people and knock them over, grab food from their hands or jump onto rucksacks while they are attached to people. In the past twenty years in the Cape, there have been situations where people have been pushed over by baboons, a few incidents where people have been scratched – and fewer than ten recorded incidents where people have actually been bitten.

Baboons have the physical ability to do tremendous damage – if they choose to. But over many years of interactions between humans and baboons, reports of actual baboon bites are vanishingly rare. Dogs, rats, spiders and sharks all bite far more frequently than baboons. South African mammals that pose a similar threat to people as baboons do (based on actual injuries) include vervet monkeys, small antelopes like duikers and steenbok, and mongooses. But do not assume that baboons are tame, or safe to interact with directly – keep your distance and treat all wild animals with respect.

Question 2

Are baboons dangerous to people?

Claire · Accepted Answer

A large male baboon, with its impressive canines certainly looks fearsome, and will commonly elicit remarks like ‘They are vicious’, ‘They can tear you to shreds’ and ‘Imagine the damage those teeth can do’. But the fact is that baboons are not predators, and are generally not aggressive towards humans unless food is involved, or the troop is under threat. Many wild animals are dangerous if provoked. The truth is that baboons are largely indifferent to humans.

In the Western Cape, there are no records of a baboon ever killing a human being. There are no comprehensive statistics recording the number of injuries baboons have inflicted on people, but incidents are rare, and often not the result of a direct ‘attack’. Most injuries are food-related, and happen when baboons push past people and knock them over, grab food from their hands or jump onto rucksacks while they are attached to people. In the past twenty years in the Cape, there have been situations where people have been pushed over by baboons, a few incidents where people have been scratched – and fewer than ten recorded incidents where people have actually been bitten.

Baboons have the physical ability to do tremendous damage – if they choose to. But over many years of interactions between humans and baboons, reports of actual baboon bites are vanishingly rare. Dogs, rats, spiders and sharks all bite far more frequently than baboons. South African mammals that pose a similar threat to people as baboons do (based on actual injuries) include vervet monkeys, small antelopes like duikers and steenbok, and mongooses. But do not assume that baboons are tame, or safe to interact with directly – keep your distance and treat all wild animals with respect.