A male white-faced capuchin monkey carrying a baby howler monkey
Brendan Barrett/Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
Capuchin monkeys residing on a secluded Panamanian island have been observed engaging in a peculiar behavior – abducting infants from howler monkey families, marking a unique phenomenon in the animal kingdom.
The population of wild white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus imitator) on JicarĂłn Island has been under surveillance since 2017, with 86 motion cameras capturing their adept use of stone tools to crack open tough fruits, nuts, and shellfish. In 2022, after five years of footage analysis, researchers noticed a young male capuchin named Joker carrying an infant howler monkey on its back. Subsequently, Joker and four other male capuchins were observed snatching at least 11 baby howler monkeys over a span of 15 months.
Initially perceived as an isolated incident, the behavior soon spread among the capuchin population through social learning, akin to a “primate fad or fashion,” as described by Andrew Whiten from the University of St Andrews. The monkeys, particularly immature males, seem to be actively taking howler infants from their families, rather than adopting abandoned babies of other species as observed in mature female monkeys.
Unfortunately, the abducted howler infants are unlikely to survive as they are too young to thrive without their mother’s milk. Researchers have even witnessed some of these infants being carried around even after their demise.
Despite the lack of tangible benefits, the trend of infant abduction among the JicarĂłn capuchins persists, possibly stemming from factors like ample leisure time and a conducive environment for innovative behaviors to emerge on a remote island with minimal predators and competition. The same group of young male monkeys that exhibit this behavior are also the most prolific tool users, indicating a potential link between existing traditions and the adoption of new behaviors.
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