The Amazing Story of A Baby Baboon!

Photographer Evan Schiller and Lisa Holzwarth were on a game drive in the northern Botswana's Selinda area when they came across a big troop of baboons charging through the bush.

"30-40 baboons were heading in our general direction making a lot of noise," Lisa recalls. The baboons were obviously frightened by something and they all scampered up trees, shouting, alarming, and making a big scene. It quickly became clear what the problem was: two large lionesses came out of the tall grass and rushed the baboons into the trees, soon joined by two more lionesses.

"Between the baboons shrieking and the lionesses communicating with deep guttural roars, it was a mad scene," Lisa says. But then the real chaos began! One brave baboon descended the dead tree and tried to make a run for it. but got snapped up in the jaws of a lioness. The lioness grabbed a female baboon on the run. But there was something else there. As the baboon lay dying in the jaws of the lioness, a little baby (less than a month old) slowly disengaged from its mother's body.


Instinct took over and the baby tried to make a go for a tree, but did not have the strength to climb. At this point the lioness noticed the "little guy" and went over to investigate.


Instead of snapping the baby up in a deadly movement, she started to play with the baboon.
The lioness was inquisitive and gentle at the same time.


After a while she picked up the baboon softly in her mouth and walked away, then settled down with the baby between her paws.


In a strange behavioral twist, the baboon started to try and suckle the lioness.




The lioness got distracted-this time by two male lions who arrived on the scene. Their advances, however, were met with aggression by the lioness. Was she defending the baby baboon? Or just uninterested in their mating advances?

Here's where it gets interesting: Waiting in a nearby tree is a big male baboon, who is obviously intent on saving the baby. The male lions were causing such a ruckus that it presented a short window of opportunity for the brave hero to descend the tree, grab the baby and head back to safety.


The heroic male baboon, having just saved the baby from the lions, cradled him in his arms.



"I was touched by how gently the father baboon held this little baby after its ordeal."
Lisa Holzwarth



Photographs by Evan Schiller
laholzwarth.wordpress.com...

a reply to: OrionHunterX

That was an amazing story ,It touches everybody's heart and shows that compassion towards the babies are a universal instinct and it is a common practice shared by all species...well almost all anyways...And yet we sometimes witness harshest brutalities taking place against baby human by the humans....It is a shame,,if only we acted more animal like than whatever the hell it is we have become.

a reply to: OrionHunterX

This story brought a smile to my face on this sunny Monday morning !

S&F !!

What a lovely tender story. S&F for elevating my mood and helping me to see that there is still wonder to be had in an otherwise gloomy world nowadays.

a reply to: OrionHunterX

Seems the "drive to adopt" crosses species barriers.


F&S&

Awwwwww! I was so relieved that the baby was rescued. It couldn't have survived otherwise. Sweet!

Where are the photos of the lion feeding on the larger baboon? The lion was most likely saving the little one for a snack later, they prefer fresh live meat to dead and this little treat had no means of fighting back or getting away so no need to kill it until it was time to eat. She did not want to share her rare delicacy with her fellow lions and acted defensive of her food when they approached.

Just another photographer cherry picking photos and making up a story to sell.

If you follow and read the link, it is not quite as pleasant of a story as this thread makes it out to be. The photog is not sure if the baby made it alive and said the only reason it was not eaten right then is because the male lion advanced on the female giving the other baboon the chance to rescue it.

Once again, humbled by mother nature.

Touching.