Baboons & Ginger Snaps

On the way out of Nairobi we stop at a gas station and buy some last minute junk food.  A box of ginger snaps catches my eye and off we go.  Later I open the box and eat a few.  To my surprise they are fairly spicy, which makes them so much the better as far as I am concerned.  Somewhere across Tanzania we come across a clan of baboons.  Rob stops the truck and it is obvious they are looking for food, just like a dog scrounging for scraps under the table.  We start digging furiously for something to give them and find the ginger snaps.  Rob starts tossing them out the window while I grab my camera.  I caught this guy just before he crunches down and gets the surprise of his life.  You can see the ginger snap in his mouth.  Cute little guys, aren't they?

Comments

[Doug]

So, did the baboon run off to find something to cool his tongue, for he was in torments, or did he actually enjoy the ginger snap so much, he wanted another one? Wish you took the "after action" photo when the baboon's eyes started watering!

BTW, baboons are like bears. They are omnivores! Here in the US, the park rangers will tell you NOT to feed the wildlife. Is it the same in Mwanza, Tanzania?

Reading these entries is more fun than watching Marlin Perkins send Jim Fowler out into the field to be mauled by some wild beast, while good ol' Marlin stayed in the rear with the gear!

"And, now we will watch Jim take on the 600 pound African lion..."

I am having a blast reading your journal!

[Brother Quotidian]

I, too, hope you will let us know what happened in the few seconds after this photo was snapped.

bq

[jon]

As I recall things were moving pretty quickly. There were actually several baboons around the vehicle and Rob kept rolling the window up to keep them from reaching in the truck. There may have been a car coming up behind us because I think we took off right after the photo. I also believe the baboon took off. I have a couple pics of the clan running beside the vehicle.

No signs to not feed the animals. There are hardly any signs period. The only indication you are coming up on a manmade bump in the road is the "Oh-no" you say just before you hit it. A frequent comment, "Nice sign."

The baboons appeared to be making their living this way. A sorry lot.