Monkey Hunters

Although lions rarely hunt baboons, there are times when desperation drives the predator to seek sustenance outside its normal rutine.

Monkey Hunters takes a look at those desperate times, and how the Baboons deal with the ever-imminent threat to their survival.

The river in Tarangire National Park in Tanzania never runs dry during the dry season where herds of animals come to the river to drink.

It is a time of plenty for the predators, but when it rains on the surrounding plain, the herds abandon Tarangire. The predators then only have the resident animals to hunt. Desperation forces the lions to target unusual prey; the baboons.

This is not without risks. Baboons are armed with dangerous teeth, they are hard to catch and usually not worth the risk or effort.

Yet, in Africa’s Great Rift Valley, where baboons are plentiful, lions have learned to catch them and eat them.