HOME |
RSS | 
It
ain't easy bein' top dog. Or, for that matter, top monkey. Sure your underlings
would pay
to gaze at your pictures, but being alpha baboons come at a high price:
A new study, "Life at the Top: Rank and Stress in Wild Male Baboons," published in the July 15 issue of the journal Science found that in wild baboon populations, the highest-ranking, or alpha, males have higher stress-hormone levels than the highly ranked males below them, known as beta males -- even during periods of stability. The findings have implications in the study of social hierarchies and of the impact of social dominance on health and well-being, a subject of interest among researchers who study human and other animal populations.
Link (Photo: Jeanne Altmann)
You may think the baboon is not too smart because it fell for that old trick, but at least it knows where the water is! From the 1974 documentary Animals Are Beautiful People. -via Cynical-C
If you plan to visit the Knowsley Safari Park near Liverpool, England, beware of monkeys. Bad, bad monkeys:
The cheeky monkeys – who are known for tearing off the odd wiper or wing mirror – have been targeting cars carrying the roof boxes before pouncing on the unsuspecting visitors, who are forced to watch helplessly as their things disappear. [...]
‘Their technique involves the largest baboons jumping up and down on the box, flexing it until the lock bursts open, then the rest of the baboons pile in to see what they can find,’ Mr Ross said.
‘Obviously, we’re well used to them helping themselves to the odd wing mirror or wiper blade, but this has taken things to a whole new level.
‘Let’s face it, nobody wants to see a baboon running up a tree with their underwear.’
The Daily Mail has the story and pics: Link (Photo: Cavendish Press) – via Asylum
