YELLOW BABOON LABOR AND PARTURITION AT THE TANA-RIVER-NATIONAL-PRIMATE-RESERVE, KENYA

An observation of the birth of a feral yellow baboon (Papio cynocephalus cynocephalus) is reported. Over an approximate 45-min period, the late stages of labor, parturition, cleaning of the infant, and consumption of the placenta were observed. The labor and parturition occurred in the late afternoon/early evening hours, and within 5 m of the observer. A review of the literature on feral births suggests that selection may have favored both the timing and the location of births. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.