Mandrill

There's quite a good chance to encounter Mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) in zoos, but in their natural habitat, the West African forests, these baboons are hardly studied and little is known about their behaviour. It's very hard to follow Mandrills through the undergrowth and moreover they are very shy and try to escape human observation immediately. A fact is, that adult, dominant males are among the most colourful mammals. Very impressive is the blue and red "warpaint" of their faces.