What is life like for a sub-adult baboon?

At about 5 years old for a female, and 7-8 for a male, a baboon is considered to be a sub-adult. During these ‘awkward teenage’ years, they will take on all the physical characteristics of an adult baboon, and life starts to look very different for male and female baboons. 

All sub-adults will start to become braver and more independent, but they still need the protection of the troop.  They also become more astute at observing the hierarchy and social rules of the troop, avoiding trouble and figuring out their place  

For females, who stay with the troop they were born into for their whole lives, this means acceptance of their rank, forging stronger bonds with other females and making the most of the opportunities their rank affords them. 

For a male, this is a much more tumultuous time.  Physically he undergoes a transformation – he grows into his full height, his snout lengthens, his chest and neck fills out, and his canines grow long and sharp. 

He distances himself from his mother, and starts to form bonds with other young males, with whom he practices his wrestling and fighting skills.  He starts to figure out who in the troop can be challenged, and who to avoid. Eventually he will have to decide whether to leave the troop, or to stay and either challenge the dominant male or accept a lower rank.