Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin (ISSN 0178 – 6288) . Number 125, May 2015, pp. 19-37. | Page 6

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seasons, they frequent up to three permanent waterholes. Baboons will take
siestas at the waterholes during midafternoon. Hamadryas baboons will also dig
drinking holes only a short distance from natural waterholes (Wikipedia; Khalaf,
August 2014).

Arabian Baboon (Papio hamadryas makkah, Khalaf 2015) eating a banana on Jabal
Al Noor in Makkah Al Mukarramah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Photo by: Prof.
Dr. Sc. Norman Ali Bassam Khalaf-von Jaffa. 08.04.2012.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/50022881@N00/12065483876/

Social Life
Group Organization
The baboon has an unusual four-level social system called a multilevel society.
Most social interaction occurs within small groups called one-male units or
harems containing one male and up to ten females which the males lead and
guard. A harem will typically include a younger "follower" male who may be
related to the leader. Two or more harems unite repeatedly to form clans. Within
clans, the dominant males of the units are probably close relatives of one another
and have an age-related dominance hierarchy. Bands are the next level. Two to
four clans form bands of up to 200 individuals which usually travel and sleep as
a group. Both males and females rarely leave their bands. The dominant males
Gazelle : The Palestinian Biological Bulletin – Number 125 – May 2015