Trouble making baboons

Last updated on March 19, 2022

At an entry gate into Ngorongoro, a humongous crater, our tour guide Salem told us that there were very food aggressive baboons in this area. We didn’t think much of it but listened and closed all the windows. When we got to the gate there were baboons all over the road and on the sidewalk. I saw two big baboons sitting down and grooming each other. We also saw baby baboons.

Salem parked the car and we all got out to look at a small museum about the crater. When we got back to the truck, there was a really big baboon sitting on top. It was just sitting there and staring at us. When Salem told us about the baboons, I had not expected baboons on our car. Becky is my mom’s good friend and is helping Salem with the safari. They just got married and she’s helping him with his business. Becky said that on all the safaris she’s been on she has never seen a baboon on the top of her truck. On a previous day, Salem told us that in the dry season baboons sometimes drag the baby empalas up into a tree and strangle them. That’s why when Salem walked up to the baboon and said the baboon was harmless I didn’t believe him. Dad went up to Salem and they took photos with the baboon. Just then a truck with trash came down the road and all the baboons jumped into it and to eat the trash. The baboon on our truck jumped down and went to the trash truck just as dad took a photo so it looked like the baboon was trying to get him.

We got back in the truck and drove through the gate. As we were stopped to give our papers, a big baboon came out of nowhere and jumped into the truck through the window dad just put down. It was inches away from dad and was holding onto his seat. The baboon reached over dad and the seat, into the seat pocket right in front of Sy and stole a cookie packet. It immediately hoped out the window with the cookies and ate them. We were all in shock. We started talking about what happened and Sy said that he was scared the baboon was going to steal his stuffed animals because they were monkeys. We rolled up the windows after that.