Papio hamadryas in Kenya
New publication Journal of East African Natural History 114(10): 94–105 (2025)
A new large primate for Kenya: Hamadryas baboon Papio hamadryas (Primates: Cercopithecidae)
Yvonne A. de Jong and Thomas M. Butynski
Abstract: The hamadryas baboon Papio hamadryas is a large, terrestrial primate endemic to the Arabian Peninsula and Northeast Africa. There are no records of this primate in Kenya. From February 2023 through April 2025, we conducted eight surveys across northern Kenya, from the eastern shore of Lake Turkana eastward to Malka Mari National Park and Wajir. We encountered 37 groups of baboons Papio between Marsabit and Malka Mari National Park, 32 of which were olive baboons Papio anubis. These encounters extend the known geographic distribution of this monkey in northeastern Kenya ~50 km to the east. At least four groups of P. hamadryas were observed in Malka Mari National Park between 655 m asl and 680 m asl. These records are ~75 km southeast of the known range of P. hamadryas in southern Ethiopia, ~100 km northeast of the easternmost P. anubis group, and ~125 km west of the documented range of northern yellow baboon Papio cynocephalus ibeanus. These are the first records of P. hamadryas for Kenya and, thus, for East Africa. We speculate that the range of P. hamadryas extends from Malka Mari National Park northward into Ethiopia along the Daua River, eastward along the Daua River on the Kenya-Ethiopia border to Ramu, and westward to Lulis, just beyond the southwestern corner of Malka Mari National Park. With this addition, Kenya’s primate community comprises three Papio species and four Papio taxa, and a total non-human primate community of 11 genera, 19 species, and 34 taxa.
Adult male hamadryas baboon Papio hamadryas, Malka Mari National Park, northeastern Kenya. Note the silvery-grey pelage, long silvery cheeks, pinkish-grey face, flat crown, long mane, short pelage on hindlegs, large reddish callosities, and short and arched tail with slight tuft at the tip. Photograph by Yvonne de Jong and Tom Butynski.
Full paper available on: https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-east-african-natural-history or email yvonne@wildsolutions.nl