Estudio del comportamiento en un grupo de chimpancés (Pan troglodytes) cautivos tras la introducción de dos hembras: integración y benestar

Abstract

The common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) is a species considered “endangered” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Its populations have decreased in the last years because of the poaching, illness and habitat loss. This is the reason why ex situ protection measures are being carried out, creating communities where the primates can develop the typical behaviour of the species and satisfy their social nature. But forming these groups is a complex process influenced by many factors, therefore it could have critical implications for the individuals if done in a negligent way. During the month of July 2017 was concluded at the Primate Recuperation Centre of Mona Foundation the introduction of two chimpanzee females within a group of five males. A study of this community members was performed with the objective of evaluating the result of this integration process and to determine the group welfare. To make this, the registers obtained during the observations made at the centre, during the months of March and April of 2018, were compared with the ones of the 2016-2017 period, previous to the female transfers, and the ones of the months of July, August and September of 2017, first months after concluding the introduction. The experimental part of this study was carried out by multifocal scan sampling with instantaneous register of the behaviour of the individuals. It has been evaluated the evolution of the group behaviour and the welfare by using of generalized linear mixed models (GMLL). This analysis showed that the individuals had changed their individual and social behaviour and the group welfare because of the process, but without the influence of the subject origin in this change. Furthermore, a Fisher exact test evidenced the dependence between the role of the chimpanzee in the integration and the change in the individual behaviours. The study has confirmed the good management performed by the workers of the centre, showing that the chimpanzees have adapted to the new group maintaining the previous welfare at the community. However, the social integration of the individuals is not completed yet, therefore more time will be needed to consolidate and stabilize the group