RECONCILIATORY BEHAVIOR IN CAPTIVE FEMALE CHIMPANZEES (Pan troglodytes)

Abstract

Between May 29th and July 31st I studied the behaviors of the nine adult female chimpanzees at the North Carolina Zoological Park in Asheboro, North Carolina. Data were collected using focal animal observations in which females were observed for 20-minute intervals. A standard ethogram was employed. While resting was generally recorded most often, the females engaged in affiliative behaviors an average of 19.78% of the time, with a range of 8% to 32%. The two highest ranking mothers in the group, MG and RT, had the highest levels of affiliation (28% and 32%, respectively). During the study period I also recorded four conflicts between eight of the nine females: MG, RB, BA, TM, RT, AM, MK, and TR. In all four conflicts, one of the females was chased by at least one other female, and in two conflicts, a female was struck by BA, the daughter of the highest ranking female, MG. After three out of the four conflicts, I observed reconciliation between those involved. These post-conflict reconciliation behaviors included kissing, grooming, sitting close to one another, and reaching. The data show that there is an association between rank, age, and affiliation in the post-conflict reconciliation.