HOPE report

Number: 23-001

Field work on food-sharing and other social behavior among wild bonobos

Report: Shinya YAMAMOTO

Date: 2011/6/14 - 2011/8/22

For the sake of comparative study on chimpanzees and bonobos, I conducted field observational research on wild bonobos in Wamba forest, DR Congo, following my field work on wild chimpanzees in Bossou, Guinea, last January and February. I collected data on food-sharing, group cooperation, mother-infant interaction, inter group relationship, feeding technique, and so on. I succeeded in recording more than 200 events of food-sharing in sum in this and last year. As for group cooperation, the bonobos in Wamba is known to cross a road which separates their habitat into two parts, as seen in the chimpanzees in Bossou. Data on the group composition, the order of individuals, vigilance and guarding behavior in crossing would be suggestive for their risk management in group. I will analyze these data, compare the social behaviors between bonobos and chimpanzees, and plan to write up at least three papers. After my field work in Wamba, I also visited Lola Ya Bonobo Sanctuary in DR Congo and Planckendael Zoo in Belgium in order to obtain and exchange the information on scientific research and care-taking of captive bonobos. This would be helpful for our project to introduce bonobos into Japan in the near future.

Bolingo fruit, Bonobo often shared 


Road crossing

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