Question 1

What’s the impact on the troop when an adult baboon dies?

Claire · Accepted Answer

The death of a troop member can be a significant event for the troop, especially if they had a long-standing role as a leader, guide or social stabiliser. It can result in social disruption, as the troop’s hierarchy must reorganise itself, which may involve challenges for high status positions.

The death of a mother or primary caregiver can be especially hard on young baboons, as they lose their primary source of care and protection. Other members of the troop may step in to care for the infant or juvenile, though this can lead to uncertainty for the young baboon’s survival.

Baboons are known to exhibit signs of grief when they lose a troop member, involving vocalizations, physical grooming, or even a period of mourning. Members of the troop may show signs of distress, and there could be a temporary drop in group cohesion or coordination.

In a 14-year study of chacma baboons in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, researchers found that like in humans, baboons who had suffered losses were found to have elevated levels of stress hormones (glucocorticoids). The study further indicated that after the death of a family member, females compensated for their loss by “reaching out” more than usual to other females. They increased their grooming rate and broadened their circle of grooming partners — even breaking rank to form alliances with those beneath them. Researchers believe that the contact serves as a coping mechanism for the baboons, as their glucocorticoid levels dropped significantly just after grooming¹.

1 https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/murder-in-the-troop-inside-chacma-baboon-society/2051/

Question 2

What’s the impact on the troop when an adult baboon dies?

Claire · Accepted Answer

The death of a troop member can be a significant event for the troop, especially if they had a long-standing role as a leader, guide or social stabiliser. It can result in social disruption, as the troop’s hierarchy must reorganise itself, which may involve challenges for high status positions.

The death of a mother or primary caregiver can be especially hard on young baboons, as they lose their primary source of care and protection. Other members of the troop may step in to care for the infant or juvenile, though this can lead to uncertainty for the young baboon’s survival.

Baboons are known to exhibit signs of grief when they lose a troop member, involving vocalizations, physical grooming, or even a period of mourning. Members of the troop may show signs of distress, and there could be a temporary drop in group cohesion or coordination.

In a 14-year study of chacma baboons in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, researchers found that like in humans, baboons who had suffered losses were found to have elevated levels of stress hormones (glucocorticoids). The study further indicated that after the death of a family member, females compensated for their loss by “reaching out” more than usual to other females. They increased their grooming rate and broadened their circle of grooming partners — even breaking rank to form alliances with those beneath them. Researchers believe that the contact serves as a coping mechanism for the baboons, as their glucocorticoid levels dropped significantly just after grooming¹.