Two troops of Hamadryas Baboons (Papio Hamadryas), also known as the Sacred Baboons, are all set to enthral visitors at the renowned Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park in the temple city.
The baboons, grouped in the ratio 1:6, have arrived to the zoological park on November 26 from Leipzig Zoo (Germany) and were released into their respective enclosures for public viewing, here on Friday. Among the three troops which have arrived in India, one troop is kept with Indira Gandhi Zoological Park in Vizag, while the others have been handed over the S.V. Zoological Park in Tirupati.
Hamadryas considered a sacred animal by ancient Egyptians
According to the zoo officials, Hamadryas Baboon is the northernmost of all the baboons, native to the Horn of Africa and the south-western tip of the Arabian Peninsula. The species belongs to the ‘Old World Monkey’ family.
Ancient Egyptians regarded the Hamadryas as a sacred animal and has appeared in various roles of the Egyptian religion, hence the alternative name of ‘Sacred Baboons.’
The omnivorous primate is adapted to a relatively dry habitat and feeds on a wide variety of foods during dry and wet season. Some of them include blossoms, seeds, wild roots and grasses, leaves, insects, reptiles and small mammals.
