The hamadryas baboon (Papio hamadryas) occurs in north-east Africa. It is principally found in Ethiopia. P. hamadryas has a varied diet, feeding on fruit, grasses, forbes, leaves, buds, flowers, seeds, eggs, insects, and meat. If the hamadryas baboon established in Tasmania it may compete with Tasmanian native marsupial species for food and other resources. Baboons may also hunt small mammals. Commodities that may be susceptible to this species would be fruit, nuts, cereals, grains, oilseeds, grain legumes and vegetables.
The NRE Tas Technical assessment Panel (TAP) assessed papio hamadryas as being highly dangerous to humans, posing a moderate risk of establishment and a moderate (verging on high) consequence of establishment. Consequently, the TAP assessment concluded that the risk to Tasmania posed by P. hamadryas is serious.
P. hamadryas is permitted for import and keeping only by Wildlife Exhibition Licence holders approved to keep serious threat species.
Assessment Documentation
Hamadryas baboon species profile (284Kb)
Risk Assessment - Hamadryas Baboon (306Kb)