Question 1

How do the baboons cope with Rooiels weather?

Accepted Answer

Rooiels features some pretty extreme weather conditions at times. In the village, the baboons shelter from rain, wind, and sun using trees, covered verandas, balconies, and car ports

In the winter, when weather conditions are at their most hostile, the baboons tend to spend less time moving around – probably to conserve energy and warmth. In the absence of their preferred foods, they also use lawns as a winter fallback food source. It’s much easier to harvest than fynbos, and can just be plucked and eaten. This allows the baboons to feed quickly, and to limit the time they have to spend travelling in inclement weather.

Mormile, J. 2024. An interdisciplinary study on the human-baboon interface in Rooiels, South Africa. PHD dissertation. University of Cape Town.

Question 2

How do the baboons cope with Rooiels weather?

Accepted Answer

Rooiels features some pretty extreme weather conditions at times. In the village, the baboons shelter from rain, wind, and sun using trees, covered verandas, balconies, and car ports

In the winter, when weather conditions are at their most hostile, the baboons tend to spend less time moving around – probably to conserve energy and warmth. In the absence of their preferred foods, they also use lawns as a winter fallback food source. It’s much easier to harvest than fynbos, and can just be plucked and eaten. This allows the baboons to feed quickly, and to limit the time they have to spend travelling in inclement weather.