Barbary Macaques Exhibit Unusual Paternal Care Among Primate Species
Macaque males demonstrate paternal behavior - Berber monkeys, particularly the males, show a fondness for fatherhood.
Male Barbary macaques, a primate species native to North Africa, are not just hands-off parents on Father's Day. According to Roland Hilgartner, director of the Affenberg-Salem monkey park on Lake Constance, these macaques take an active role in caring for their young, relieving mothers and forming close bonds with the infants.
Shortly after birth, the babies spend most of their time with their mothers. However, fathers are also present, providing attentive care. Hilgartner explains that these macaques care for their young lovingly, a behavior rarely seen among primates due to uncertain paternity.
The Affenberg-Salem park, located in southern Baden-Württemberg, is home to approximately 200 Barbary macaques, who live in a 20-hectare forested free-range enclosure—Germany's largest for monkeys. Since April, four monkey babies have been born in the park, according to Hilgartner.
Despite their promiscuous mating system, Barbary macaques do not form traditional families. Instead, they reside in larger groups. Since females have multiple mating partners, the paternity of the infants is often unclear among the males. However, they still take great care of the babies within the group, potentially including their own offspring.
The park expects more monkey babies this year, with two to three anticipated. As the sex of the animals can only be determined over time, precise details are yet to be confirmed.
Between five and 15 monkey babies are born annually in the park, according to Hilgartner. Determining whether a female is pregnant can be challenging as the mothers feed on young leaves and shoots during spring, making their bellies appear bloated.
Barbary macaques live in matrilineal societies where rank is inherited through the mother, and they engage in allomothering—a behavior where both related and unrelated females help care for infants. Males, even if unrelated, provide protective care and engage with the infants, a rare trait among primates.
Despite the promiscuous mating system, males appear to provide paternal care as a potential reproductive advantage, even if the link to their own genetic offspring is indirect. Females seem to prefer mating with males who provide the most paternal care to their offspring.
These complex social interactions can be observed at the Affenberg-Salem monkey park, where the macaques live in large, free-ranging troops that replicate their natural social patterns, allowing visitors to witness unusual cooperative care from males towards infants.
- The unusual paternal care shown by male Barbary macaques could potentially be influenced by their employment policy, as they appear to provide care as a reproductive advantage, even if the link to their own genetic offspring is indirect.
- The Affenberg-Salem park, in adherence to its community policy, strives to replicate the natural social patterns of Barbary macaques, providing a unique opportunity for visitors to witness the uncommon cooperation between male macaques and infants in the fitness-and-exercise of parenting.
- In this health-and-wellness focused environment, Barbary macaques practice allomothering, a strategy that involves both related and unrelated females caring for infants, ensuring the well-being of the entire community.
