撰文:Yvonne de Jong & Thomas Butynski
Yvonne de Jong and Thomas Butynski are studying primates in eastern Uganda and western Kenya. Let's take a look at what they found at the high altitudes of Mount Elgon!
Baboons, one of the most widely distributed species of African monkeys, occupy most of sub-Saharan Africa, and can be found in almost any vegetation environment, whether in the beaches of eastern Africa, in the bushlands of South Africa, in the semi-arid areas of northern Kenya, in the bamboo forests of Senegal, and even in the mountain forests of Tanzania and Uganda.
However, it is not easy to find them on such a high mountain.
Near Bura in eastern Kenya, a yellow baboon (steppe baboon) looks out from thorny bushes.
摄影:Yvonne de Jong & Tom Butynski
During a survey, we went to Mount Elgon on kenya's border with Uganda. This huge dormant volcano is located at 4,321 meters above sea level on Wagagai peak in Uganda. Mount Elgon is also the world's largest monolithic volcano with a base area of about 3,989 square kilometers and two national parks located here, one in Uganda and the other in Kenya.
The East African baboon is one of six non-human primates on Mount Elgon. In East Africa, the range of activity of the East African baboon is as low as 539 meters above sea level (Meru National Park, Kenya), as high as 2371 meters (Kenya Nyahururu) and 2499 meters (Uganda Echuya Forest Reserve).
The highest elevation of the East African baboon species is reported to be at 3,850 meters above sea level in The Oroboo Mountains of Ethiopia.
Baboons are known for their "attitude". They usually stay in groups of 30 to 200 individuals, and they often "get to know" people, which is even more obvious when you enter a national park in East Africa. The group of baboons we encountered in Mount Elgon National Park was "no different" from the group we encountered at an altitude of 2133 meters.
In Mount Elgon National Park in western Kenya, at an altitude of 2,148 metres, an adult male East African baboon baboon grapples its teeth at a female East African baboon with cubs in her arms.
Near the center of Mount Elgon National Park on the Kenyan side, a herd of baboons wanders around.
The male baboon yawned and exposed its amazing tusks.
Not far away, a juvenile East African baboon sat on the ground, staring in our direction.
In a sacred montane forest in Mount Elgon National Park in western Kenya, at an altitude of about 2,328 metres, a juvenile East African baboon climbs on a tree trunk.
On February 21, 2015, we set off from the headquarters of Mount Elgon National Park (Kenyan side) and drove up the grasslands and sacred mountain forests that the locals see, over the mountains and through the bamboo forest at an altitude of 2400 meters. At 2738 meters above sea level, we stopped, when we were only two or three meters from the Ugandan border.
From here, it is surrounded by both montane forests and open woodlands and meadows. Waiting ahead of us are the African moorlands. As we were enjoying the view from the top and below, we were surprised to find a group of East African baboons about 400 meters away from us. These East African baboons are located at a height of 1942 meters higher than the Kenyan record, in fact, this is also the highest record in the entire East African region.
At 2,310 meters above sea level in Mount Elgon National Park in western Kenya, a large road passes through the montane forest.
Mount Elgon is home to many wild animals, large and small, and the picture shows an adult white-eyed blackbird.
In the montane forest of Mount Elgon, an adult male antelope looks out from the dense vegetation.
Eventually, we saw several East African baboons at an altitude of 2,738 meters above sea level in Mount Elgon National Park in western Kenya. This is the highest recorded position of the species in East Africa.
With roads and cars, we can reach remote places and record East African baboons.
Photograph by Yvonne de Jong
During this study, we encountered a total of 30 groups of East African baboons. All but two of the groups are located in protected areas. Even among Africa's most adaptable primates, baboons outside protected areas struggle to survive. Baboons that live relatively close to humans generally destroy crops. Farmers have almost zero tolerance for "monkeys stealing food.". In addition to this, Africa's population doubles every 20 years. One consequence is that humans are rapidly destroying and degrading baboon habitats.
At 2,310 metres above sea level in Mount Elgon National Park in western Kenya, a herd of East African baboons roams along the edge of a montane forest.
In Diani on Kenya's south coast, a juvenile female yellow baboon is toying with the tail of a female baboon.
(Translator: MikeGao)