The sighting was witnessed by Gabe Harmer and Mrisho Lugenge in the Mala Mala Game Reserve
When they arrived at the scene, the baboon could be seen sitting peacefully on the banks of the river. He sat upright like a sentinel, and though he must’ve seen the pride of lionesses approaching, it appeared relatively unshaken.
Baboon remains calm as lionesses approach
Instead of running to flee, he stood up quite calmly and moved a little into the distance, where he sat again; almost waiting for the lions to approach.
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An old baboon giving himself over to lions is not common in nature. Still, this reflects a real pattern seen in many wildlife encounters, where elderly or injured animals sometimes stop fleeing when they don’t have the strength to escape.
Lionesses approach baboon
The lions continued to close in on the baboon. It was clear the baboon was outnumbered, and though the threat was moving in, the animal chose not to flee.
Instead he stood up and moved towards an approaching lioness.
She was now just a few metres away, and he moved towards her. He lifted his arms in self-defense as she lunged towards him, feebly attempting to shield himself from her attack. His efforts appeared half-hearted, even as more lions approached.
Lions closes in for a kill
It was a terribly sad moment to watch, as the lionesses now surrounded the aging baboon. Even if he had been younger and stronger it would have been too late for him to flee. Danger already had him captive, and the lionesses were ready and willing to secure a kill.
They surrounded him before closing in. He was by this stage on the ground and helpless. It would be a matter of moments before his life was ended and the saddest part was that he had not attempted to flee. It even appeared that he had willingly turned himself over to the predators.
Lions are known to dispatch small prey quickly with a strong bite to the neck or skull, using jaws capable of exerting more than 650psi (Pound Per Square Inch) of pressure.
The baboon species can live up to about 30 years in the wild but rarely reaches that age due to predators, injury, and food shortages. For this baboon, this final moment was part of the natural cycle which maintains the balance of the ecosystem.
A sombre ending to a dramatic encounter
While the scene was sombre, it reflected the harsh but functional reality of the African bush. Predators like lions often target the weakest individuals; including the old, sick, or injured. Through doing so, they indirectly support the health of prey populations, removing those less able to survive. What was memorable about this scene was the baboon’s belief that he stood no chance of getting away from the pride and his surrender to the approaching predators.
One wonders whether he might have gotten away had he put in a determined effort.
