Chimpanzees in Gabon’s Loango National Park have been observed treating each others’ wounds using insects – a unique demonstration of potentially advanced cultural activity
Photos by ROLAND HILGARTNER
PORTFOLIO
On the ground
The Rekambo chimpanzee community (rekambo means ‘where English is spoken’ in the local language) consists of about 40 individuals.
The Ozouga Chimpanzee Project team, led by Tobias Deschner and Simone Pika, head of the comparative biocognition research group at Osnabrück University’s Institute of Cognitive Science, has documented previously unknown chimp behaviour in Gabon’s Loango National Park.
Green mosaic
An aerial view of Loango National Park in Gabon. This protected natural paradise is a hotspot of biodiversity, containing a mosaic of different habitats including rainforest, wetlands, lagoons, savannahs, coastal rainforest, floodplains and mangrove forest. The park covers about 1,500km2 and is managed by Gabon’s National Agency for National Parks (ANPN).
Mum’s taxi service
Sassandra, an infant Rekambo chimpanzee, enjoys a ride on her mother Suzee’s back. Female chimps eventually leave their natal group to integrate into a new one. It took the Ozouga Chimpanzee Project team more than 10 years to habituate this community and be able to observe their behaviour up close. The research project started in 2005.
Close watch
In six years of collecting detailed data on the Rekambo chimpanzee community, the Ozouga Chimpanzee Project team has documented some startling behaviours, such as chimps attacking lowland gorillas, and even killing and eating one. They have also observed the use of tools, with chimpanzees using different-sized branches to dig out honey from underground beehives and crack open tortoise shells.
Shared access
The first-ever photo of wild chimpazees and forest buffalo together. The Loango chimps’ extraordinarily large territories mean that encounters with large mammals such as forest buffalo or forest elephants are not uncommon. Researchers are studying how the chimps and other species compete for food.
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Roland Hilgartner is a primatologist, photographer and author. He specialises in tropical wildlife and primates, with a focus on conservation. See more of his work on Instagram: @roland_hilgartner.
Sentry duty
A vigilant male, Chinois, scans the surroundings near the border of the territory. Chimpanzees patrol and defend territories, which can result in conflict with neighbouring groups – sometimes with lethal outcomes.
Medicinal purposes
Alessandra Mascaro, an evolutionary biologist at Osnabrück University, first saw individuals
