Have you ever seen a mandrill? Maybe not in real life, but if you ever watched ‘The Lion King’ as a kid (or an adult, we don’t judge), then you can relate mandrills to the character Rafiki. The character is portrayed as a sage with a deep connection to magical and spiritual elements, who uses his wisdom to guide those in need, most notably Simba.
The largest horde of mandrill that has ever been witnessed had over 1300 individuals. Any guesses where they were found?
Lopé National Park, Gabon.
Mandrills are the world’s largest monkeys, and one of the most colorful mammals found in the world today. Shy and reclusive, they are a member of the Old World monkey family. These colourful creatures live in small social units in the rainforests in equatorial Africa, but it is quite common for them to merge with other small units to create a horde. It is not that hard to identify a mandrill – just look for the blue and red skin on their faces and their brightly hued rumps. Many people fail to distinguish between a mandrill and a baboon. Even in the popular Disney franchise ‘The Lion King’, the character of Rafiki was called a baboon, whereas taking a closer look at his face, you can tell that he is indeed a mandrill.
Here are two fun facts about mandrills:
