On Jicarón Island, part of Panama’s Coiba National Park, researchers have documented an unprecedented behavior: adolescent white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus imitator) abducting infants of a different species, the Panamanian howler monkey (Alouatta palliata coibensis). This phenomenon, observed 2022 and 2023, involved at least 11 instances where capuchins carried howler infants, most of whom did not survive, likely due to starvation .
A Behavioral Anomaly
Unlike typical interspecies interactions, these abductions lacked signs of aggression or predation. The capuchins displayed gentle behavior towards the howler infants, suggesting a misdirected caregiving instinct. Researchers propose that the initial abduction by a young male capuchin may have been an expression of such an instinct, subsequently mimicked by other adolescent males in the group .
Environmental and Social Factors
Jicarón Island’s unique environment may contribute to this behavior. The island’s isolation, absence of predators, and limited social stimuli could lead to atypical behaviors among its primate inhabitants. The same capuchin group has previously demonstrated innovative behaviors, such as using stone tools to access food, indicating a high level of cognitive flexibility .
Implications for Conservation
The Panamanian howler monkey is an endangered subspecies, and these abductions could have significant conservation implications if the behavior persists or spreads. This case underscores the importance of understanding how environmental factors and social dynamics influence primate behavior, particularly in isolated ecosystems.
As researchers continue to study this phenomenon, it highlights the complexity of primate social structures and the need for comprehensive conservation strategies that consider behavioral ecology.
Cover Photo: This photo provided by researchers shows a baby howler monkey clinging onto a young adult male capuchin monkey on Jicarón Island, Panama in September 2022. (Brendan Barrett/Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior via AP)
