CLICK HERE if you are having trouble viewing these photos on a mobile device
If Mousa, a new baboon born at Oakland Zoo last month, ever gets lonely for family, he won’t have to look far. The zoo is home to his parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and a few cousins, too.
Mousa is the third generation of Hamadryas babooons at Oakland Zoo. He is the son of Mocha and Kusa. Mocha’s parents, Maya and Martijn, are the proud grandparents. This is Mocha’s first child, and Mousa becomes the 11th baby born into the zoo’s baboon troop over the last five years.
While Maya and Martijn are longtime zoo residents, Kusa was brought in from another zoo to mate with the couple’s daughters and form a new harem. This way, zoo officials say, the genetic line improves with diversity.
Mousa was born Nov. 3 and met his extended family the next day when Mocha brought him out to meet the rest of the troop. The baboons are part of a close-knit group and the grandmothers are showing support and keeping an eye on Mocha and the new baby, zoo officials say.
“Initially, Mousa’s aunts and uncles were especially interested in Mousa and formed an entourage, going everywhere that they went, never more than a foot or two away and often much closer,” said Andrea Dougall, Oakland zoo’s zoological manager. “At almost three weeks old, Mousa is doing great.”
Hamadryas baboons follow complex social structures. One adult male will mate with several females to make up a harem. He will exclusively breed with these females and in exchange will protect them and the offspring. The females within the group work together to raise the children.
Oakland Zoo has 17 Hamadryas baboons and works closely with the Species Survival Plan to maintain and increase genetic diversity within the troop. Maintaining an expansive, naturalistic and interactive habitat contributes to the overall well-being of the baboon troop, zoo officials say.
Hamadryas baboons are generally 24 to 30 inches tall and can weigh up to 80 pounds, although the females usually weigh 40 pounds. Their diet includes vegetables, protein-rich insects and some red meat. They have an active lifestyle and live to be 30 to 40 years old.
Hamadryas baboons are found in Ethiopia, Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. In the wild, baboons congregate in very large groups to sleep at night. During the day, they separate into smaller groups to forage for food.
The ancient Egyptians worshipped them as the incarnation of the god Thoth, who often is depicted with the head of a baboon.
Zoo visitors don’t have to worship them but they can see the troop daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m at the Baboon Cliffs Habitat, located down the hill from the African Veldt.
The Baboon Cliffs area, which is roughly 8,100 square feet, includes a cascading waterfall, climbing structures, a spacious area for the baboons to roam, a night house facility, offices for zoo staff and a large viewing platform that gives visitors a good look at the baboons.
