# Olive Baboon: Key Facts

> The olive baboon is a large African monkey living in troops of up to 150 across savannas and increasingly at human edges.

- **Species:** Olive Baboon (*Papio anubis*)
- **Conservation status:** Least Concern
- **Diet:** Omnivore — grasses, seeds, insects, small mammals, and crops
- **Habitat:** Savannas, woodlands, and rocky hills of equatorial Africa
- **Lifespan:** 25–30 years in the wild (longer in captivity)
- **Top speed:** Up to 45 km/h (28 mph)
- **Canonical HTML:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/baboon/baboon-troop-politics/
- **Parent profile:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/baboon/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Quick answer

The olive baboon is a large, ground-dwelling monkey found across the savannas, woodlands, and rocky hills of equatorial Africa. Highly intelligent and adaptable, it lives in big social troops, eats almost anything, and can run at up to 45 km/h (28 mph). Males can weigh around 30 kg, roughly twice the size of females. Olive baboons live 25 to 30 years in the wild and are listed as Least Concern.

## Who should skip this page

Skip this if you need the full biology — use the [Olive Baboon profile](https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/baboon/) instead.

## Troop life and social structure

Olive baboons live in large, complex troops that can number from a dozen to well over a hundred individuals. These groups are built around a core of related females with a stable dominance hierarchy, while males move between troops and compete for rank and mating opportunities. Social bonds are reinforced through grooming, which soothes tension and cements alliances that can decide an individual's status. Life in a big troop offers protection from predators such as lions, leopards, and hyenas.

## Help protect the Olive Baboon

Even familiar animals lose ground as wild habitat keeps shrinking worldwide.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/baboon/baboon-troop-politics/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.