Primate hunting by bonobos at LuiKotale, Salonga National Park
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (P.paniscus) hunt and consume the meat of various birds and mammals. While chimpanzees frequently hunt in groups for arboreal, group-living monkey species, bonobos were thought to focus on medium sized terrestrial prey such as forest antelopes, squirrels and other rodents which are caught opportunistically by single individuals and the absence of monkey hunting by bonobos was often used to illustrate the divergent evolution of the two Pan species. Monkey hunting by chimpanzees is related to social aspects, such as bonding between males and mating effort and the absence of the behaviour in bonobos has been linked to a lack of male bonding and to reduced levels of aggression. Field work at LuiKotale has provided the first information on hunting of diurnal, arboreal and group living primates by wild bonobos. Observations show that both sexes were active in pursuing and hunting monkeys which confirms the active role of adult females in prey acquisition and meat sharing and it is tempting to relate this to social patterns such as alliance formation and cooperation among adult females. Future work on the bonobo population at LuiKotale offers the possibility to explore the social and ecological conditions that promote monkey hunting by bonobos. This information will contribute to a better understanding of the evolutionary significance and proximate causation of aggression, hunting and meat eating in hominoid primates.
Hohmann G, Fruth B. 2008. New records on prey capture and meat eating by bonobos at Lui Kotale, Salonga National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo. Folia primatol. 79:103-11
Surbeck M, and Hohmann G. 2008. Primate hunting by bonobos at LuiKotale, Salonga National Park. Current Biol 18:R906-907
Surbeck M, Fowler A, Deimel C, Hohmann G (in press) Evidence for the consumption of arboreal, diurnal primates by bonobos (Pan paniscus). Am J Primatol
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (P.paniscus) hunt and consume the meat of various birds and mammals. While chimpanzees frequently hunt in groups for arboreal, group-living monkey species, bonobos were thought to focus on medium sized terrestrial prey such as forest antelopes, squirrels and other rodents which are caught opportunistically by single individuals and the absence of monkey hunting by bonobos was often used to illustrate the divergent evolution of the two Pan species. Monkey hunting by chimpanzees is related to social aspects, such as bonding between males and mating effort and the absence of the behaviour in bonobos has been linked to a lack of male bonding and to reduced levels of aggression. Field work at LuiKotale has provided the first information on hunting of diurnal, arboreal and group living primates by wild bonobos. Observations show that both sexes were active in pursuing and hunting monkeys which confirms the active role of adult females in prey acquisition and meat sharing and it is tempting to relate this to social patterns such as alliance formation and cooperation among adult females. Future work on the bonobo population at LuiKotale offers the possibility to explore the social and ecological conditions that promote monkey hunting by bonobos. This information will contribute to a better understanding of the evolutionary significance and proximate causation of aggression, hunting and meat eating in hominoid primates.