Rare Red-haired Babooon!
February 10, 2011
On January 26, Israel's Ramat Gan Safari announced the birth of a rare, adorable red-haired baby girl. Just like humans, the gene for red hair amongst Hamadryas Baboons is recessive and it was exactly 30 years ago when the last red-haired baboon was born at the old Tel Aviv Zoo. Mom's name is "Scud" as she was born 20 years ago during the Gulf War.
While Scud's rank within the group is not very high, this new baby strengthens her position. The dominant male now spends a lot of time grooming her. He is very curious about the baby girl but Scud is cautious. When he tries to touch the baby, Scud relocates and keeps her distance.