Are powerful and aggressive animals, especially mature males. Suffer severely from the stress of capture and confinement, and will fight and inflict severe injuries on themselves and on each other, even if they are from the same troop. Are inclined to grab each other's fingers and break or bite them off when placed too close to each other in separate cages. Are highly intelligent animals, and require a stimulating environment for long-term accommodation. Must have access to sunlight for normal vitamin D metabolism.
Precautions Ensure that there is no opportunity for personnel to be attacked.
Do not underestimate the severity of the wounds that a baboon can inflict. Ensure that strange baboons are gradually introduced to an established group. Keep infants and mothers together. Juveniles may be kept together or apart, but they usually feel more secure when they are kept together. Ensure that primates do not have the opportunity to escape.