Love Within a Cage

VILNIUS - A baboon, residing in a private Zoo in Lithuania, has adopted a chicken after rescuing it from certain death.

Mitis, a 6 year old Hamadryas Baboon gave a resort to the chicken that was supposed to be given as food to other animals, says Edvardas Legeckas, the director of the Zoo located nearby Klaipede, a city in western Lithuania, reported Reuters on September 14.

Mitis has found himself a friend; he plays with the chicken, looks after that yellow feathery animal as if it was his own, continues Legeckas, adding that Mitis used to be fed chicken before.

“But I am not sure how long this affair would last, because baboon may finally realize this is food," he said.

It is believed that friendly baboon shows this kind of behavior due to the fact of not having any other baboons around.

"Obviously this baboon needed someone to communicate with," the director said.

Baboons, distinctive for their long muzzles and strong jaws are omnivorous yet they enjoy fruit more. Hamadryas Baboon, also called the Sacred Baboon, was a sacred animal to the ancient Egyptians. The fact that is common to all baboon species is a difference between males and females - males are usually twice as large as females, colored silver and white while females are colored brown.