The behavior of a zoo‐housed infant orangutan after the death of its mother

Whilde, Jenny; Marples, Nicola M.

doi:10.1002/zoo.20329

Cited by 8 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Behaviors were classified, based on behavioral similarity or apparent behavioral ends, into four types: visual, aggressive, hiding, and affiliative (see Table II for full descriptions of HDBs). Additionally, affiliative behaviors, were designated as close (<3 m) or distant (>3 m), consistent with proximity definitions for studies of zoo orangutans and gorillas [Edwards & Snowdon, 1980;Less et al, 2010;Nakamichi & Kato, 2001;Poole, 1987;Stoinski et al, 2003Stoinski et al, , 2004Whilde & Marples, 2011;Zucker & Thibaut, 1995].…”

Section: Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human–animal relationships in zoo‐housed orangutans (P. abelii) and gorillas (G. g. gorilla): The effects of familiarity

Smith

2014

American J Primatol

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I examined human-animal relationships (HARs) in zoo-housed orangutans (Pongo abelii) and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) to see if they followed patterns similar to conspecific relationships in great apes and humans. Familiarity and social relationships guide humans' and great apes' behaviors with conspecifics. Inter-individual relationships, based on shared social history, and "generalized" relationships, based on a history of interactions with relevant classes of individuals, guide behavior with familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics, respectively. I examined whether both familiarity and social relationships similarly guides great apes' cross-species interactions with humans. I used repeated measures MANOVA to compare hourly rates and average durations of ape-initiated human-directed behaviors (HDBs) between familiar and unfamiliar humans and between great ape species. HDB patterns were consistent with familiarity-based HAR predictions, indicating more negative relationships with unfamiliar humans and more positive relationships with familiar humans. Findings for unfamiliar humans are consistent with negative effects of humans on apes' behavior reported in traditional visitor effect studies (VES). However, findings for familiar humans may be overlooked in VES due to pooling across levels of human familiarity or failure to consider humans other than primarily unfamiliar visitors. Additionally, species differences in apes' HDBs suggest that data pooling across species, common in many zoo studies, may mask important differences. These findings have important methodological implications for studies of human-animal interaction as well as for captive animal wellbeing.

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Section: Observationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human–animal relationships in zoo‐housed orangutans (P. abelii) and gorillas (G. g. gorilla): The effects of familiarity

Smith

2014

American J Primatol

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“…Goodall () also recounts the case of the juvenile Pax who became agitated and screamed following his mother's (Passion) death, constantly pulling her hand and carrying out a vigil with his two elder siblings, moving away before nightfall. Successful adoptions have a positive effect, as seen in a captive orangutan that spent more time in physical contact with her aunt after her mother died and showed no significant self‐directed behaviours (Whilde & Marples, ).…”

Section: Primate Thanatology: Contemporary Reportsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Death among primates: a critical review of non‐human primate interactions towards their dead and dying

2019

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For the past two centuries, non-human primates have been reported to inspect, protect, retrieve, carry or drag the dead bodies of their conspecifics and, for nearly the same amount of time, sparse scientific attention has been paid to such behaviours. Given that there exists a considerable gap in the fossil and archaeological record concerning how early hominins might have interacted with their dead, extant primates may provide valuable insight into how and in which contexts thanatological behaviours would have occurred. First, we outline a comprehensive history of comparative thanatology in non-human primates, from the earliest accounts to the present, uncovering the interpretations of previous researchers and their contributions to the field of primate thanatology. Many of the typical behavioural patterns towards the dead seen in the past are consistent with those observed today. Second, we review recent evidence of thanatological responses and organise it into distinct terminologies: direct interactions (physical contact with the corpse) and secondary interactions (guarding the corpse, vigils and visitations). Third, we provide a critical evaluation regarding the form and function of the behavioural and emotional aspects of these responses towards infants and adults, also comparing them with non-conspecifics. We suggest that thanatological interactions: promote a faster re-categorisation from living to dead, decrease costly vigilant/caregiving behaviours, are crucial to the management of grieving responses, update position in the group's hierarchy, and accelerate the formation of new social bonds. Fourth, we propose an integrated model of Life-Death Awareness, whereupon neural circuitry dedicated towards detecting life, i.e. the agency system (animate agency, intentional agency, mentalistic agency) works with a corresponding system that interacts with it on a decision-making level (animate/inanimate distinction, living/dead discrimination, death awareness). Theoretically, both systems are governed by specific cognitive mechanisms (perceptual categories, associative concepts and high-order reasoning, respectively). Fifth, we present an evolutionary timeline from rudimentary thanatological responses likely occurring in earlier non-human primates during the Eocene to the more elaborate mortuary practices attributed to genus Homo throughout the Pleistocene. Finally, we discuss the importance of detailed reports on primate thanatology and propose several empirical avenues to shed further light on this topic. This review expands and builds upon previous attempts to evaluate the body of knowledge on this subject, providing an integrative perspective and bringing together different fields of research to detail the evolutionary, sensory/cognitive, developmental and historical/archaeological aspects of primate thanatology. Considering all these findings and given their cognitive abilities, we argue that non-human primates are capable of an implicit awareness of death.

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“…The same thing was seen in feeding activity, which would increase with age (7-22% at age 1 year to 30% at age 3 years) (Mendonca et al 2016). Another result showed that one orangutans infant in Dublin Zoo spent 43.4% for resting (when its mother alive) but fell significantly to 28.9% without its mother (Whilde and Marples 2010). Meanwhile, in reintroduction orangutans, the most significant activity was feeding (53.5%-62.05%) and resting (19.52%-64.67%) (Basalamah et al 2018;Bani et al 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

The activity budgets of captive orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) in two different Indonesian zoos

Dalimunthe¹,

Alikodra²,

Iskandar³

et al. 2021

Biodiversitas

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Abstract. Dalimunthe NP, Alikodra HS, Iskandar E, Atmoko SSU. 2021. The activity budgets of captive orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) in two different Indonesian zoos. Biodiversitas 22: 1912-1919. In nature, orangutans spent most of the activity budgets for foraging. It is presumed that orangutan in captivity carries out different activities. This study aimed to investigate the activity of Bornean Orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) in different zoos with different types of cage according to their design, enrichments, and diets. It was conducted at two different Indonesian zoos, namely Ragunan Zoo (TMR) and Taman Safari Indonesia (TSI). The study used a total of 11 orangutans. From each zoo, orangutan individuals from each zoo and each age and sex class (adult male, adult female, and juvenile/juvenile) were used in the present study. The activity budgets were compared between age-sexual classes, cage types, and weekday-holiday categories. Environmental enrichment analysis was also used. The total observation time in this study for each individual was 4,500 minutes. The adult male had more resting activity than other groups, while the juvenile group showed a higher percentage of social, moving, and feeding activities. It was also observed that there were different activity budgets between individuals in a separate cage and week-holiday groups. Overall, it was assumed that the difference in orangutan activity budgets was influenced by cage types, individual arrangements, and environmental enrichment. Meanwhile, a juvenile showed a higher percentage of enrichment using. Enrichment was influenced by cage type and individual arrangement.

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The behavior of a zoo‐housed infant orangutan after the death of its mother

Cited by 8 publications

References 12 publications

Human–animal relationships in zoo‐housed orangutans (P. abelii) and gorillas (G. g. gorilla): The effects of familiarity

Human–animal relationships in zoo‐housed orangutans (P. abelii) and gorillas (G. g. gorilla): The effects of familiarity

Death among primates: a critical review of non‐human primate interactions towards their dead and dying

The activity budgets of captive orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) in two different Indonesian zoos

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