Group of Olive Baboons, Virunga National Park, Congo (Democratic Republic)

Throughout its wide range, the Olive Baboon (Papio anubis), also called the Anubis Baboon, can be found in a number of different habitats. The grasslands, especially those near open woodland, do make up a large part of its habitat, but the baboon also inhabits jungles and deserts. Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for instance, both support Olive Baboon populations in dense tropical forests. The Olive Baboon lives in groups of 15-150, made up of a few males, many females, and their young. There is a complex social hierarchy similar to that found in other primates. Each baboon has a social ranking somewhere in the group, depending on its dominance. Female dominance is hereditary, with daughters having nearly the same rank as their mothers. Males, however, establish their dominance more forcefully. This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for National Geographic and traveled to Africa from January 19, 1972 to mid April 1972.