Wednesday 24 July 2019

Unprecedented display of concern and 'consolation' toward an unknown monkey offers hope for endangered macaques


JULY 10, 2019

A wild group of endangered Barbary macaques have been observed, for the first time, "consoling" and adopting an injured juvenile from a neighbouring group. The observations by a scientist from Oxford University and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (ifaw) are published today in the journal Primates.
'Pipo', a nearly three-year-old juvenile, was seriously injured and became separated from his group following a road traffic accident.
He was found distressed and alone two days later by a neighbouring Barbary macaque group. Although these monkeys had no social relationship with Pipo, they approached, groomed and affiliated with him, and accepted him into their group. Pipo made a full recovery and stayed with them for four months until returning to his own group.
The observation in Ifrane National Park in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco—one of the Barbary macaque's last remaining areas of habitation—provides valuable information and offers hope to researchers and local communities who are trying to safeguard and boost the endangered species, which is under threat following habitat loss and poaching.


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