AS-HOPE report

Number: 24-034

Study the relationship between hierarchy and personality in wild-living bonobos.

Report: Cintia GARAI

Date: 2012/11/24 - 2013/2/24

With the help of local field assistants I followed bonobos in a daily basis in the forest near to the main camp at the edge of Wamba village. The bonobo community that I had the chance to observe, the so-called P-group, is a community of 27 individuals including infants. I collected behavioral observation from juveniles, sub-adults and adults. This means 20 individuals. After learning to identify them, I collected focal animal behavioral data, in order to compare the personalities of the examined individuals. Apart from this I collected fecal samples, since the analysis of certain candidate genes' correlation with personality traits is also a part of my research plans. I collected 50 samples from the observed 20 individuals. I recorded aggressive and sexual social interactions ad libitum, whenever I could ascertain the identity of the interacting individuals. Local field assistants helped me a lot in achieving these purposes. During a big part of my field trip bonobos were ranging in a swamp forest, and focal animal observation can be difficult to conduct in this habitat. But with the presence of field assistants I could collect data from the swamp forest too in an effective way. The data that I collected during this field trip will be present in my PhD research.

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