Starting as he means to go on: Baby baboon develops early taste for destruction as he munches on car number plate at safari park

By Daily Mail Reporter


He may look cute now, but this playful primate could soon be getting to grips with your car.

And he's not alone as there's been something of a baby baboon boom at a popular wildlife attraction this summer.

There have been 15 births in a troop of 120 olive baboons at Knowsley Safari Park, in Merseyside.


This baby baboon gets an 'A' for effort, as he learns how to bite on part of a car registration plate after being born at Knowsley Safari Park in Merseyside.

One of the 15 new born baby Olive Baboon monkeys, at Knowsley Safari Park

But just like this adorable baby, all 15 could grow up to just over two feet tall and weigh as much as 50kg, or just under eight stone, with a penchant for mischief and destruction.

Peter Litchfield, head of the animal division at the Merseyside attraction, said: 'It's brilliant that the park has had such a great boom in baby baboons.

'With the sun out they have been soaking up some rays.

'The cars that come through offer a great source of enjoyment and if they can get their hands around the edges they will rip it off.'


Mother clings on to this adorable baby baboon who is now one of 120 of the species at the park

This baby baboon could grow to more than two feet and weigh just under eight stone

Native to 25 African countries stretching from Mali eastward to Ethiopia and Tanzania, the olive baboon is named after its coat - which at a distance appears to be a shade of green-grey.

Females lead the troop with the species roaming up to ten miles a day. It then sleeps in high trees or on the side of cliffs at night.


The species are native to 25 different African countries and can roam up to ten miles every day

Olive baboons are so-called because their fur is a grey-green colour from a distance

The baboons are said to be naturally social, mischievous creatures and are not known to be overly aggressive towards people.

It's not just broody baboons that staff at Knowsley have had to deal with this summer after a spate of births.

Some of those born so far have naturally been named after some of Team GB's Olympic heroes with two lion cubs named after record-breaking heptathlete Jessica Ennis and cycling golden girl Victoria Pendleton and a baby wildebeest named after Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins.


source:dailymail