Zoo database

Hamadryas baboon

Papio hamadryas

Natural diet Hamadryas baboon

Fruits
Grain / seeds
Grasses
Herbs
Insects
Leaves
Vertebrates

Hamadryas baboons are herbivorous primates that primarily eat fruits, leaves, seeds, and grasses. In addition, they may also eat insects and small vertebrates and mammals. The diversity of their diets makes them highly adaptable to different environments.

Feeding advice Hamadryas baboon

Feed quantity per day

5-10% of body weight

Sample percentage calculation

If an animal weighs 15 kg and eats 10% of its body weight, it will get

15 x 0.1 = 1.5 kg feed in total per day

Feed composition

15% Concentrates
20% Leafy and cabbage vegetables
50% Other vegetables
10% Browse
5% Other

Proportions (fresh product)

0.15 x 1.5 kg = 225 g concentrates
0.2 x 1.5 kg = 300 g leafy and cabbage vegetables
0.5 x 1.5 kg = 750 g other vegetables
0.1 x 1.5 kg = 150 g browse
0.05 x 1.5 kg = 75 g other

Diet suggestions

In moderation

Nuts and seeds

Starchy/ sweet vegetables

Not recommended

Fruits

Additional advice

Divide the “Feed quantity per day” over at least two feeding moments per day.
Supplement a diverse selection of vegetables (read more about differences between vegetables).
Although present in their natural diets, feeding fruits might lead to gastro-intestinal disturbances because of the high sugar level and low fiber level in cultivated fruits compared to wild fruits (read more about nutritional values of (wild) fruits and vegetables).
Provide less palatable food in the morning, when hunger is greatest.
Feeding in bowls is not recommended.
Stimulate foraging behaviour by hiding, stacking or hanging the feed. Examples can be feeding puzzles, tubes, hanging boxes and/ or scatter feeding (read more about feed enrichment and foraging behaviour).

Common diseases

An unbalanced diet may result in one of these more commonly occurring diseases/conditions:

Obesity
Metabolic bone disease

Feed quantity per day

Sample percentage calculation

Feed composition

Proportions (fresh product)

Birch leaves - 10-20 kg bag

DK Trainings Biscuits L

Primate Leaf eater (cold pressed)

DK Maintenance Hi-Fibre (Primate)

Michel Janssen

Manager Finance & IT